A Manchester United star who regrets moving to Old Trafford is in advanced talks to quit this summer, according to a new update.

Players who could leave Man Utd this summer

After an early deal for Matheus Cunha, plenty of talk has been on who INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe will sign next for Ruben Amorim ahead of his first full season in charge at Old Trafford.

Bryan Mbeumo could well be the next to arrive for the Red Devils, however, when it comes to departures, the club may have plenty of work to do.

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A number of big Man Utd earners have been linked with exits, including goalkeeper Andre Onana, with Amorim and co looking to bring in a new first-choice shot-stopper.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jason Sancho may all be on the search for new clubs after returning from their loan spells at Aston Villa, Real Betis and Chelsea respectively.

Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce could be the next destination for Sancho, with claims that the winger has accepted a £160,000-a-week offer to move to Turkey and work under the former United manager.

Earlier in the window, AI actually predicted nine players Man Utd could sell for a combined £320m this summer, one of which was midfielder Casemiro.

Marcus Rashford

£50m

Alejandro Garnacho

£60m

Rasmus Hojlund

£50m

Jadon Sancho

£35m

Antony

£30m

Casemiro

£20m

Andre Onana

£40m

Luke Shaw

£20m

Tyrell Malacia

£15m

The Brazilian reportedly regrets his move to Old Trafford from Real Madrid, despite picking up more than £18m per season and being the club’s highest earner, and a new exit update has emerged.

Advanced talks for Casemiro to leave Man Utd and join Al-Nassr

According to reports from Saudi outlet Sport Jazirah, relayed by Man Utd News, a move to the Saudi Pro League for Casemiro is at an advanced stage.

Negotiations appear to be progressing for the midfielder to join Al-Nassr and play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 33-year-old has just 12 months remaining of his £350,000-a-week Old Trafford deal, and it remains to be seen what sort of fee United could bring in for Casemiro, should he seal a move to link up with Ronaldo once more.

After signing back in 2022, Casemiro has made a total of 125 appearances for Man Utd, contributing to 29 goals and winning the FA Cup and League Cup under Erik ten Hag.

He played a key role in United’s route to the Europa League final last season with five goal contributions in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, however, his days at Old Trafford appear to be numbered.

If he does leave, Amorim could look to bring in a new midfielder, and there have been suggestions that Juventus’ Douglas Luiz is of interest to Man Utd. Richard Rios of Palmeiras is another rumoured target, so Casemiro’s exit may be the starting point of a new midfield addition at Old Trafford.

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تحدث أحمد عبد الرؤوف، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن الفوز على طلائع الجيش بثلاثية مقابل هدف في الدوري المصري.

وقاد أحمد عبد الرؤوف الزمالك في مباراة اليوم، بعد توليه المسؤولية الفنية عقب رحيل البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا بسبب تراجع النتائج.

وقال عبد الرؤوف، خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “الحمد لله على الفوز المهم جدًا، على فريق كبير مثل طلائع الجيش، وتحمل المسؤولية في وقت صعب، مهمة ليست سهلة، لكن لاعبي الزمالك على قدر المسؤولية”.

طالع.. الزمالك يعلن تشخيص إصابة بيزيرا وفتوح وصبحي أمام طلائع الجيش

وواصل: “لم يكن هناك وقت لوضع نظام مع اللاعبين، وهو ما تسبب في إرباك الحسابات الفنية، قبل البطولات المهمة ينشغل اللاعبون بها، لذلك قد يكون هناك إرباك للحسابات”.

وأكمل: “أتمنى أن يتفهم الجميع الظروف الصعبة، وأتمنى أن يكون جمهور الزمالك داعمًا للفريق، وأوجه الشكر لكل أبناء الزمالك الذين حرصوا على الاتصال بي لدعمي بعد تولي المسؤولية”.

واسترسل: “مباراة بيراميدز وتجهيزاتها ستكون مختلفة، سنواجه فريقًا كبيرًا وعلينا الاستعداد بالشكل الأمثل”.

وتابع: “قبل أن أكون مدربًا فأنا مشجع لنادي الزمالك وأعرف قدرات اللاعبين، بدأنا العمل من اليوم وفي عقلنا بطولة السوبر”.

وأضاف: “التغييرات لها علاقة بمباراة اليوم وببطولة السوبر أيضًا، وتجهيز كل العناصر في قائمة الفريق، لقد وجدت نفسي مسؤولًا عن الفريق، لم أختَر التوقيت، ولكن كان حلمًا بالنسبة لي، لذلك أحاول وضع ضوابط جديدة في وقت قصير، وأثق أنه مع الوقت سيكون الوضع أفضل”.

وأتم: “في أوقات كثيرة لم نقدم الأفضل في مباراة اليوم، ولكن الأهم هو التوفيق والمكسب في ظل الظروف الحالية، وأكررها: جمهور نادي الزمالك مهم جدًا، وجوده وهتافهم لي ليس جديدًا”.

Manchester United’s need for new additions this summer is hugely evident after their failures across all competitions throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

The Red Devils only managed to finish in 15th place in the Premier League, losing 18 of their 38 matches and only registering a total of 42 points – their lowest since the division’s formation.

Ruben Amorim has the chance to make the changes he desires this window, needing to recruit the right players for his 3-4-2-1 system at Old Trafford.

He’s struggled to make the desired impact after taking the reins back in November, registering a 40% win rate and falling at the last hurdle, suffering a defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.

However, if he is to transform the club’s fortunes in 2025/26, he needs to be backed by the hierarchy in his quest for success, with the transfer market opening up numerous opportunities for additions.

The latest on United’s hunt for new signings this window

After Matheus Cunha’s arrival this summer, United have shown no signs of slowing down, with Ollie Watkins one of the latest players linked with a move to join the club.

The England international is a man in demand this summer after scoring 17 times for Aston Villa last campaign, but his £60m asking price could prove to be a stumbling block for Amorim’s side.

However, moves have been made elsewhere, with a deal seemingly progressing for the signature of Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor, according to Brazilian outfit Globo.

Their report claims that the Red Devils are in talks over a move for the 29-year-old, who could be available for a fee in the region of £5.8m during the off-season.

It also states that Amorim’s men see the shot-stopper as an excellent option for their number one position, but they could face potential competition from fellow English side Everton this window.

Why United’s latest target would be a more important signing than Mbeumo

Bryan Mbeumo is a player who’s been massively linked with a move to join United this summer, with Amorim’s side having two separate offers rejected for the Brentford star.

The latest was in the region of £55m plus £7.5m in potential add-ons, but the Bees are holding out for £65m to part ways with their star talent during the off-season.

The interest in the 25-year-old is no surprise, given his record of 20 goals in the 2024/25 campaign, the most of any player in the division whose side didn’t achieve European football.

However, a move for Victor this window would arguably be a more important addition for the Red Devils, offering the side an upgrade on current number one Andre Onana.

The Cameroonian has often been culpable for numerous errors in recent seasons, leading to serious questions being asked about his long-term future at the club.

However, when comparing his stats with those of the current United shot-stopper, Victor has managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – possibly being a bargain given his current price tag.

The Botafogo star, who’s been labelled “incredible” by one analyst, achieved a better clean sheet percentage last season, whilst also making more saves per 90 – handing the side the needed confidence between the sticks.

Games played

11

34

Clean sheet percentage

55%

26%

Save percentage

81%

68%

Goals conceded

0.6

1.3

Pass accuracy

81%

72%

Crosses claimed

0.8

0.6

Saves made

2.7

2.5

He’s also conceded fewer goals per 90, whilst claiming more crosses, offering a need presence and a player who can command his 18-yard box, which could bolster the defensive unit.

Victor’s ability to play out from the back could also massively improve Amorim’s side, giving them the option to build and dominate rather than constantly going long and handing the ball to the opposition.

£5.8m in today’s market is a bargain, especially for a player who would offer a huge upgrade on the options currently at the manager’s disposal at the Theatre of Dreams.

There’s no denying that Mbeumo would improve one area of the pitch, but the goalkeeping department is one of the most crucial, with Victor having the ability to improve the current situation tenfold.

Bad news for Bruno & Amad: Man Utd want to have deal "finalised by Monday"

Manchester United appear to be edging closer to another summer addition for Ruben Amorim.

13 ByEthan Lamb Jul 5, 2025

Dimitar Berbatov has admitted he was "disappointed" Viktor Gyokeres chose to join Arsenal as his former club Manchester United prepare to face him.

Arsenal play United this weekendGyokeres could make first-team debutUnited signed Benjamin SeskoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former United striker Berbatov has expressed his "disappointment" that Gyokeres chose to move to Arsenal in the summer, in what ended up being a £64 million ($87m) deal. The Red Devils, of course, signed Benjamin Sesko instead, and the pair are set to go toe-to-toe on Sunday, when the two sides kick off their Premier League campaigns.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Gyokeres scored a staggering 54 goals in all competitions with Sporting last season, while Sesko netted 21 times for RB Leipzig in all competitions. Berbatov, as a result, predicts an intriguing duel between the two forwards, and also Mikel Arteta and Ruben Amorim.

WHAT BERBATOV SAID

Berbatov told A Bola: "Yes, he was phenomenal in Portugal."

He added: "I'm a little jealous, to be honest. Sad and even disappointed because he did not go to United, because there was even a Portuguese connection. But he chose Arsenal. In a way, I get it. Arsenal are playing well, play good football, with pass, pass, looking for spaces. Mikel Arteta is a student of Pep Guardiola and that's how he plays, he's never going to change. 

"Gyokeres will have opportunities to make his mark there, for sure. And the first game of the season will be a test for everyone: Amorim against Arteta, United against Arsenal, Gyokeres against Sesko — United’s new 9. Therefore, you can already see some interesting duels on the field."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

United and Arsenal will both look to lay down a marker at the other's expense on Sunday. 

His longer-format skills haven’t always translated to T20 success, but he’s raised his game to a new level this season

Sidharth Monga23-Oct-2020As a T20 death bowler, Mohammed Shami has his limitations. Unlike Jasprit Bumrah, he has an orthodox action. Unlike Mitchell Starc, he doesn’t bowl left-arm. Unlike Jofra Archer, he doesn’t bowl 150kph. Unlike Kagiso Rabada, his hard lengths tend to skid on because of his height. Unlike Dwayne Bravo, he doesn’t have fancy slower balls or the experience of having bowled in a million T20 leagues. Unlike in ODI cricket, the ball hardly reverses in 20-overs cricket. Shami’s predicament in the shortest format is not too different to Test legend Dale Steyn’s: take away some swing, add some seam, you have Shami.With that little going for him, Shami is still the Kings XI Punjab’s lead bowler. In a way, on the surface, Shami’s shortcomings show in the team’s overall results. In this IPL, one of his better years, Shami has conceded 12.60 per over in the death (last four) overs of innings. That’s the fifth-worst economy rate among those who have bowled at least five overs in that phase. And yet, Shami has been an essential part of the revival of the Kings XI’s campaign, which features wins over the top three sides in their last three games.In the match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Shami contributed with the wicket of AB de Villiers, who had been held back because of the presence of two legspinners in the Kings XI attack. When the Royal Challengers felt the match-ups were right, though, Shami got de Villiers out with a slower short ball.Against the Mumbai Indians, Shami got the big wicket of Hardik Pandya with a hard-length ball in the 16th over, thus limiting the damage at the end of the innings. He conceded just 15 in his last two overs, the 16th and the 19th. And then he returned to bowl a Super Over for the ages with six yorkers to defend just five runs and take the match into the second Super Over, which the Kings XI won.

Shami's improvement since IPL 2019, & his great yorkers this season is a great encouragement to all of us that improvement, even at a later stage is not beyond any of us if we work hard at it.

— Ian bishop (@irbishi) October 20, 2020

Against the Delhi Capitals, Shami bowled the 18th and the 20th, conceding just 13 runs, taking out Marcus Stoinis with an attempted yorker and Shimron Hetmyer with a perfect one. The Capitals eventually ended short of a challenging total by ten runs, by the estimation of their captain Shreyas Iyer.It’s not just his economy of late, but also the wickets that Shami has been taking, which has helped take the heat off the other overs. He has taken nine wickets at the death in this IPL, behind only Rabada’s 11. It can be argued Rabada benefits from the pressure created by his excellent bowling unit whereas Shami’s wickets actually buy his colleagues some relief. Let us be wary of over-estimating the worth of wickets at the death, because teams keep on hitting regardless, but you are still better off – even if slightly – bowling to batsmen who are not de Villiers, Pandya, Stoinis or Hetmyer.Shami has turned it around with yorkers. Not even counting the six he nailed in the Super Over against Mumbai Indians, Shami has bowled a higher percentage of yorkers than Bumrah, Archer or Rabada. Only T Natarajan has bowled more yorkers than Shami at the death this IPL. And this is going by the definition of the yorker according to the pitch maps: within two metres of the stumps. Sometimes a batsman is charging at you, and you shorten the length to york him, which then ends up being counted as a slot ball. Shami has a few there that have resulted in dots or singles.The yorker is a risky delivery, which is why it is tried so rarely. The margin for error for someone like Bumrah is greater than that for Shami. The Super Over is a good example, where Bumrah got away with two full-tosses because his action gives you less time to react. Shami had to get each one of his yorkers right.ESPNcricinfo LtdIf you look at overall numbers and not just the death overs, Shami has had an impressive IPL. For starters, he has bowled hardly any easy overs: all but 36 of his deliveries have been bowled in the powerplay or at the death. That is why his economy rate of 8.43 needs to be put in perspective. Let our Smart Stats do it for you. His Smart Economy rate is 7.5; among those who have bowled at least 20 overs in this IPL, only six seamers have done better. Add to it 16 wickets, not one of which is of a tailender. That is why his Smart Wickets tally is greater than Rabada’s; at 18.74, it is only behind Archer’s 18.83.ESPNcricinfo LtdShami has not gone into the off-season and added a new ball or remodelled his action or approach. Perhaps he has practised his yorkers more this year. Perhaps this being the only cricket for a major part of this year has helped him. Perhaps the slower nature of the pitches in the UAE has given him a slightly bigger margin for error, and thus more confidence and clarity, to go for the yorkers. However, it seems the biggest difference is that he has been allowed to take absolute charge of his bowling. You look at KL Rahul, his captain, and you know there is zero micromanagement. Rahul’s interview after that Mumbai match said as much: Shami said he wanted to bowl six yorkers, and Rahul just discussed the fields with him.Shami has responded well to the responsibility. If the Kings XI continue to bat as well as they have in the last three games – especially the chaos that Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran have introduced to the middle overs – Shami and their death bowling remain key to their qualification chances. So far, Shami the death bowler has been the revelation of this IPL, but the test of all these revelations lies in over-exposure. We will know in the coming games, but to carry an attack such as Kings XI’s this far is an achievement that should not be written off.

No blood was spilt, no bones broken, no wickets taken. And still, the bowling was scarily good

Osman Samiuddin03-Jul-2022The over from hell began about half an hour before the close, the ground bathed in sunlight a shade of extreme troll: all day absent only to turn up when there’s barely an hour left. It was the 22nd over of an England innings that had begun nearly seven hours ago.Three breaks for rain meant Mohammed Shami was bowling his 11th consecutive over without undue strain. Shami is not the most famous Lala in cricket. But with his thinning hair and permanent air of a character who has accidentally strolled out from a Netflix series on the badlands of Uttar Pradesh, he is a very endearing one.The ten overs, split by rain into spells of one, two, four and three overs before this one had been both exemplary and an exemplar of Shami bowling. Only, somehow amplified. No water had crept onto the pitch but his balls were skimming off it as if off a body of water, and not clay and soil and grass.Related

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Each delivery looked fuller and straighter and normally this would make them more hittable, but with Shami they aren’t anymore where they once were. There was swing, there was seam, there were times when those descriptions felt interchangeable. By a manual count, Shami beat both edges, or hit both edges 14 times in those ten overs.There was a ball from hell to poor Zak Crawley, the first after the first rain break. The caveat to Crawley’s summer of torment is that he has been the victim of some ferociously good balls, mostly from Trent Boult. As this one bent away from the angle into him, for once missing the edge, Crawley may have considered he was due that luck. Rishabh Pant got lucky too, his face almost rearranged by the late wobble.No wickets though because as much as Shami is known by the wickets he has taken – over 200 and counting, at a strike rate that is in the all-time top 10 – he is also known by the many wickets that he hasn’t taken, or rather, that he’s come within millimetres of taking. It is an odd reputation to acquire in this day and age when no claim is untested by data and over as long a career as of 60 Tests.It is the kind of thing you might hear about some forgotten bowler from the 1960s who never really made it or didn’t play long enough or who, if there had been greater accounting and less romanticism, it turned out wasn’t that unlucky after all. Plenty of numbers bear this out in Shami though.One of Shami’s more endearing traits is how lightly he wears his ill-luck, how little it seemingly takes from his energy.Jasprit Bumrah needs no luck to complement his genius but because life needs its own balance, Shami’s misfortune was credited to him. Crawley fell in the over after this ball from hell: bowled Bumrah, spooked Shami. Shami looked slightly more threatening; Bumrah had the three-fer.Shami’s efforts earned him the scalp of Jack Leach, a wicket fully deserved but a victim completely unworthy•PA Images via Getty ImagesBall one of the over from hell snaked in late, right through Joe Root’s attempted drive. It wasn’t the wrong ball to be driving at, it was the wrong bowler: this wasn’t New Zealand anymore. Ball two was straighter, shorter and bounced more than Root expected, hitting the bat handle sharply. In any other over, this would be the best ball. In this over, it would eventually be forgotten.Root lives off his late dabs and glides between third man and point. It is a release shot as well as a prolific one. Ball three was, in line and length, there to be late dabbed. It jagged back in so sharply Root was cut in half and beaten on the inside edge.By ball four, Root had been worked into a frenzy. He shuffled out to the ball, not necessarily for the purpose of scoring runs but more to kill the lbw he feared was coming. He did get struck on the pad, India did review it – Bumrah’s one mis-step as captain – but Root had calculated well. By coming out, the leg-before was gone.Ball five and more inswing. In a summer of Tim Southee, Boult and James Anderson, Shami’s inswing has already won; and he has been here only for one Test and has only bowled 13 overs before the third day. This one hit Root on the thigh pad, and invaluably, got him off strike.Root is the world’s best Test batter at the moment, but this was a weird, skittish innings. A hot take would be that it was too Bazball, trying to get bat on everything, attacking when caution made more sense. Three balls in a row from Shami – split by the last rain break – Root tried to drive balls that were very wide and full. Twice he hit air. Off the last, in no control, he edged over the cordon for four.Mohammed Shami knows it was a close shave against Joe Root•Getty ImagesA more considered view might see that the bowling, and Shami in particular, was so relentless that it drew Root into constant indiscretion. He shuffled, he walked out, he tried to manufacture shots and none of it worked. There was no getting away from this, not least because the breaks kept Shami and Bumrah fresh.Because he could or maybe because it was the plan, Shami beat Jonny Bairstow on the outside edge off the last ball of this over from hell. The recalibration of line, seam position and release was immediate and near-perfect. Over.No blood was spilt, no bones broken, no wickets taken. Scars though, not least upon this bold new world of England’s. What happens when the bowling is this good? Also, a microcosm of Shami’s career, all the near-misses and dropped catches, the close leaves and the missed reviews. Cricket is a game of infinitesimal margins, and rarely can that have been better articulated than it was through this over.Root fell the next over, bowled Mohammed Siraj, worked over Shami. Bairstow was millimetres from getting bowled in Shami’s next over and Jack Leach was dropped. Shami soon got Leach, a wicket fully deserved but a victim completely unworthy.

At 18 years, she is already just the fifth Indian woman to 1000 T20I runs, and the youngest to do so in all of women’s cricket

S Sudarshanan08-Oct-2022Is it easy being Shafali Verma?She burst into the international scene in T20Is as a teenager in 2019, bringing with her a fresh, big-hitting ability unlike many in Indian women’s cricket. She made people sit up and take note every time she walked out to bat and almost single-handedly took India to the final of the T20 World Cup in 2020. After a longish break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she resumed from where she left off in the three-match T20Is against South Africa, smashing a 26-ball half-century in the final match.In the 20 T20I knocks since then, Shafali has crossed 20 only five times – four of which were scores in the forties. The phase also saw her make her Test and ODI debut, including playing her maiden 50-overs Women’s World Cup earlier this year. She endured a tough tour of England last month, where she was dismissed in single digits four times out of six innings, including being castled in back-to-back ODIs by Kate Cross’ nipbackers.Related

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Did playing in multiple formats take a toll on Shafali? Was she torn between out-and-out attack and constructing a long innings? Did that dilemma creep into her T20 game and mess with her head?Ahead of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, Shafali received the unequivocal backing of India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and she repaid the faith with an all-round show against Bangladesh.Shafali’s love for boundaries is an open secret; a wristily-flicked six over deep midwicket off left-arm fast bowler Fariha Trisna – who picked up a hat-trick during her T20I debut – truly saw her get going. With the deep midwicket fielder moving squarer following the shot, she heaved one to the left of the fielder for a one-bounce four before a cross-batted wallop beat long-on to her right. Soon after, she slinked down the track to belt left-arm spinner Nahida Akter over wide mid-off to end the powerplay on 26 off just 15 balls.Shafali was unafraid to move across the stumps and explore the arc between square leg and long-on. Deliveries like the juicy full toss from medium pacer Ritu Moni on the hips – which was nonchalantly flicked over deep square leg – also helped. It was not a flawless knock by any means; she faced 16 dots through her knock and had a tough time getting the experienced offspinner Salma Khatun and legspinner Fahima Khatun away.But that did not prevent her from getting to just to her fourth T20I half-century off 40 balls, the slowest of her career. She then followed it with her career-best T20I figures of 2 for 10, including the wicket of an on-song Nigar Sultana. It was another feather in her ever-growing, impressive cap, having stood in as a substitute wicket-keeper for Richa Ghosh on at least two occasions in the competition.At all of 18 years, Shafali is already only the fifth Indian woman to 1000 T20I runs, and the youngest to do so in all women’s matches. She also has hit the third-most sixes in T20Is for India and is only one behind Smriti Mandhana’s tally of 42.Being consistent is perhaps not her strongest suit. But she substitutes it with impactful knocks. She may get to scoring runs regularly. Or maybe not. And that’s why, perhaps it is not easy being Shafali Verma. But from the looks of it, it is quite fun being Shafali Verma.

Also: is Tabish Khan’s 18-year gap between first-class and Test debuts a world record?

Steven Lynch11-May-2021 Which player has scored the most runs in T20 cricket without ever playing an Indian Premier League match? asked Ian Hugo from Ireland

Unsurprisingly, most of the leading scorers in T20 cricket have played some part in the IPL. Top of the list of those who haven’t is James Vince of Hampshire and England, who has scored 6544 runs so far without any in the IPL, which puts him 31st overall as I write. Here’s the list of the leading scorers in T20 cricket – and the teams they played for. The equivalent record for the bowlers is held by Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz, with 324 wickets, which puts him ninth overall.Where does Abid Ali’s double-century stand on the list of highest Test scores against Zimbabwe? asked Simon Merchant from South Africa

Abid Ali’s 215 not out against Zimbabwe in Harare last weekend was the 16th double-century – and the tenth-highest score – against Zimbabwe in Tests. Biggest of all remains Matthew Hayden’s 380 – briefly the Test record – for Australia in Perth in 2003-04. The only higher score for Pakistan against Zimbabwe was Wasim Akram’s remarkable 257 not out in Sheikhupura in 1996-97.Of the previous 15 double-hundreds against Zimbabwe, Marvan Atapattu made three, and Mushfiqur Rahim two.Tabish Khan won his first Test cap for Pakistan more than 18 years after his first-class debut – is this a record? asked Khalid Mohammad from Pakistan

The 36-year-old Pakistan seamer Tabish Khan finally made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in Harare last weekend – and took the wicket of Tarasai Musakanda in his first over. He had made his first-class debut back in January 2003, for Karachi Whites against Multan in Karachi.The longest gap between first-class and Test debuts is more than 24 years, by the Trinidadian Nelson Betancourt. In an era when there was not much first-class cricket in the West Indies, he made his debut in August 1905. He captained West Indies in Port-of-Spain in February 1930, aged 42, in what turned out to be the last of his 18 first-class matches. It was West Indies’ first home series, and they decided to appoint a captain from the host territory for each of the four Tests.Chris Gayle has twice hit ten or more sixes in an ODI innings and ended up on the losing side•Getty ImagesTabish Khan, who was Pakistan’s oldest debutant since the 47-year-old offspinner Miran Baksh in 1954-55, took 598 first-class wickets before his Test debut, more than anyone from a country other than England – apart from Tim Murtagh, who had 712 when he made his debut for Ireland, against Pakistan in Malahide, in 2018. The overall record is held by Leicestershire’s Ewart Astill, who took 1504 wickets – and waited more than 21 years – before his Test debut, against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1927-28.The Sri Lankan allrounder Thisara Perera recently retired from international cricket. Is he the only player to finish on the losing side after hitting 13 sixes in an ODI? asked Ray Penson from New Zealand

That innings by Thisara Perera came against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui in January 2019. Despite Perera’s onslaught, Sri Lanka ended up 21 runs short. It was a record at the time, but lasted little more than a month: in February, Chris Gayle slammed 14 sixes for West Indies against England in Grenada, but also finished on the losing side. That match contained 46 sixes in all, easily the most in any one-day international.There have been six other instances – including another by Gayle – of a player hitting ten or more sixes in an ODI innings yet ending up losing.Sir Alastair Cook scored his 68th first-class century recently, against Worcestershire. Which of the other 17 counties has Cook yet to record a century against? asked Andrew Cross from England

That century in Worcester a week or so ago was indeed the 68th of Alastair Cook’s fine career – but 33 of them came in Tests for England, and only 25 for Essex (plus ten for other teams). That means he still has few gaps among the other counties: he hasn’t yet scored a century against Glamorgan, Lancashire or Nottinghamshire.And there’s an update to last week’s question about four overseas players from the same country in an IPL match, from Krishan Avtar from India

“I think the first franchise that fielded four overseas players from the same country was Royal Challengers Bangalore, against Mumbai Indians in Johannesburg in 2009, when they included four South Africans – Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Roelof van der Merwe and Dillon du Preez.” This is correct, so I apologise for the oversight: it arose because Roelof van der Merwe was showing up on our database as a Dutch player. He has played 32 white-ball internationals for them, starting in 2015, but back in 2009 he was still representing South Africa, for whom he appeared in 26 matches.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

There is also an extended IPL window from March to May in the ICC’s new men’s FTP for 2023-27

Sidharth Monga17-Aug-2022India, runners-up in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) that ended in 2021, have a relatively tough draw in the third and fourth WTC cycles, according to the ICC’s new Future Tours Programme for men that runs from 2023 to 2027.In the third WTC cycle, India play away series in South Africa, Australia and the West Indies; and in the 2025-2027 cycle, they will tour New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka as part of the WTC. With most teams being strong at home, away Tests become crucial for WTC points. Two out of three of India’s away opponents in the next two cycles have traditionally been strong at home, although India have won their previous two series in Australia.India’s home opponents in the 2023-25 cycle are Bangladesh, England and New Zealand; and in the 2025-2027 WTC cycle it is Australia, South Africa and West Indies.Related

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India are set to play a total of 141 bilateral international matches in the 2023-27 FTP, behind only Bangladesh (150), West Indies (147) and England (142). India will play 61 bilateral T20Is – the second most after West Indies; 42 bilateral ODIs – the second fewest ahead of South Africa; and 38 Tests – the third most after England and Australia.Having last played a five-Test series against Australia in 1991-92, India will go back to playing five Tests against them, making the Border-Gavaskar Trophy one of three marquee Test series along with The Ashes and India-England contests. India will tour Australia and England once each for five-Test series, and host them as well. The limited-overs matches between these teams – whether home or away – will be played during separate tours.The first five-Test Border-Gavaskar series will take place during the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle, when India tour Australia in the summer of 2024-25. Australia then tour India during the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle for five Tests in January-February 2027. India’s five-Test series against England are at home in early 2024 and away in 2025. There are no bilateral series between India and Pakistan scheduled in the FTP.India will also play eight five-match T20I series in the new FTP, which puts them among the busiest T20 international teams in the world. They also have an extended IPL window, during which very little international cricket has been scheduled, in April and May every year between 2023 and 2027.India’s emphasis on T20Is comes at the cost of bilateral ODIs. India will not be playing any bilateral ODI series longer than three matches in the 2023-27 FTP cycle.