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Everton's summer of spending is over after the transfer window closed on Friday night, but they considered signing a Premier League player, according to a new update from journalist James Olley.

Have Everton had a good summer?

The Blues again found themselves in a relegation battle last season, ultimately surviving by the skin of their teeth for the second year in a row, thanks to a 1-0 win at home to Bournemouth on the final day.

While there was happiness and relief at staying in the top flight among the fanbase, there was also a feeling that this cannot afford to keep happening, especially with a move to a new stadium expected to take place next summer.

It was clear that reinforcements were needed during the summer transfer window in order to give Sean Dyche the desired quality in his squad, and a number of new faces have arrived.

They include Arnaut Danjuma and Beto, who have come in to add much-needed quality to the attack, with the former joining on loan from Villarreal and the latter scoring on his debut against Doncaster Rovers in midweek.

However, it has emerged that Everton tried – and failed – to bring in defender Cedric Soares from Arsenal late on in the window.

Did Everton try to sign Cedric Soares?

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday morning, Olley claimed that Everton considered making a move for Arsenal right-back Cedric Soares on deadline day, with Olympiacos also seen as potential suitors:

"Everton and Olympiacos showed some interest in Arsenal defender Cedric Soares this week. Didn't materialise into anything yesterday but still time for Olympiacos if they choose to pursue him – Greek transfer deadline is September 11."

Cedric would certainly have been a surprise signing for Everton this summer, and in truth, missing out on him doesn't feel like a huge blow.

Indeed, he hasn't exactly set the world alight since making the move from Southampton to Arsenal, where he has made a total of 59 appearances since his debut in 2020.

The defender was loaned out to Fulham midway through last season and only started twice in the Premier League, as he struggled to become a key man at Craven Cottage.

At 32 years of age, Cedric's best days are likely to be behind him, so he would only have been coming in as a squad option for Everton, so all in all, it shouldn't be seen as one that got away.

That being said, the right-back does still possess some positive attributes, not least having a huge amount of experience at the top level, winning 34 caps for Portugal and making 164 appearances in the Premier League.

Journalist Jacob Steinberg once called him "magnificent" during his Southampton days, and is someone who has quality going forward.

Everton should be just fine at right-back without Cedric making the move to Goodison Park, with Nathan Patterson a solid and young first-choice option at the moment, while Ben Godfrey is arguably a player who can fill in in that position when needed.

The Blues need to be in a position where they are signing players at the peak of their powers or youngsters with high ceilings, and neither of those things applies to Cedric, so not signing him could turn out to be a good decision from the club.

NFL Legend and Burnley co-owner JJ Watt teased CBS pundit Jamie Carragher over his accent ahead of a cameo on-air this weekend.

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• Watt set to fill in for Carragher on CBS show at weekend
• Ex-NFL star takes shot at former Red
• Burnley looking to upset Liverpool in Prem clash

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The social media account on X, formerly Twitter, posted the clip of Watt taking a light-hearted shot at Carragher over his famous Scouse accent. The ex-Liverpool ace has a distinct tone when he speaks, making it both hard to understand and amusing at times. Ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash between the Reds and Watt's Burnley, the former NFL player had a bit of fun in the buildup to it all.

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  WATCH THE CLIP

  The former Houston Texans superstar will be filling in for Carragher this Saturday during CBS's pundit show, with Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry and Micah Richards – and he took a cheeky shot at the ex-Red ahead of their club's meeting.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Watt's role as the co-owner of the Clarets has seen him take his ambassadorial role incredibly seriously. The former Houston Texan has traveled to England on short notice, has poured pints for fans at local pubs, and has even gone on VAR rants on social media over calls against his beloved club. The 34-year-old is now set to make a tv cameo on-air as his Clarets visit's Carragher's Reds in a Premier League clash at the weekend – with some fun banter already taking place in the buildup.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WATT AND BURNLEY?

  First-place Liverpool hosts 19th-place Burnley on Saturday as Vincent Kompany and co. look to pull off a stupendous upset over the league leaders. Meanwhile, Watt will be looking to write down a few jokes to aim at the CBS pundit and ex-Liverpool midfielder ahead of the weekend.

Leeds United are thought to be interested in signing Josh Brownhill in the final weeks of the transfer window, with a report sharing the possibility of a Burnley exit.

What’s the latest Leeds transfer news?

The Whites appear to be in for a frantic final few weeks of the window, with plenty of incomings seemingly needed due to the sheer number of departures.

Daniel Farke has so far brought in just Ethan Ampadu, Karl Darlow from Chelsea and Newcastle, whereas Sam Byram has arrived on a free transfer and Joe Rodon has joined on loan from Tottenham. Plenty of Leeds players have left Elland Road following relegation from the Premier League due to clauses in their contracts, the latest of which looks set to be Tyler Adams.

The midfielder is now on course to complete a transfer to AFC Bournemouth, leaving Leeds with just Ampadu and youngsters Archie Gray, Sam Greenwood, Darko Gyabi and Jamie Shackleton as central options.

As a result, the Whites, and by extension owners the 49ers Enterprises, appear to be on the hunt for a new marquee midfield signing before the September 1 deadline, which has led to rumours of a move for Brownhill.

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are one of a number of clubs that are keen on securing Brownhill’s services.

The report claims that Wolves have made an approach for the midfielder, with the Whites, Crystal Palace, Everton, Leicester and Middlesbrough also interested in the player who is into the final 12 months of his deal, with a sale this summer a possibility.

Who is Josh Brownhill?

Brownhill, who has never beat Leeds in nine appearances, can play as a holding, central or attacking midfielder and has plenty of experience in the Football League turning out for Preston, Bristol City and Burnley.

In total, the 27-year-old has made 189 appearances in the second tier and 79 in the top flight, featuring on 41 occasions last season and helping Burnley win the Championship title.

Former Wolves man Steve Bull hailed the player back in 2021, describing him as a “top-class player”.

"He's a top-class player. I think Burnley, if they want to be just below us, not in a bad way,

Meanwhile, pundit and former Aston Villa man Lee Hendrie also previously praised the midfielder, describing him as a “fabulous player” following links of a move to Villa Park.

“Josh Brownhill, I think he is a fabulous player, I really do. Out of [Sander] Berge and him, I’d take Brownhill all day just because Josh Brownhill reminds me of John McGinn.

“He’s very energetic, he’s very neat and tidy on the ball, he gets up and down the pitch well and you know what you’re getting when you’re getting a player from Burnley, Sean Dyche, what he expects. And, obviously, he’s proved that he can do this step up, coming from Bristol City, so I’d certainly take him all day.”

The £40,000-a-week midfielder could be a player to keep an eye on over the coming weeks following the recent update, however, with a number of Premier League sides keen, it could be tricky to persuade Brownhill to drop back down into the Championship.

After being adjudged lbw Dilruwan turned around and began walking back towards the dressing room, only to turn around and ask for a review, and the decision was overturned after replays suggested the ball had hit him outside the line of off stump

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-20171:01

Not fair for us to comment on Dilruwan episode – Bhuvneshwar

Dilruwan Perera, the Sri Lanka allrounder, survived an lbw decision after an unusual route to taking the assistance of the Decision Review System (DRS). At the time of the incident, Dilruwan was batting on 0 off 7 balls. He went on to play out a further 27 balls, and add 43 for the eighth wicket with Rangana Herath.What the DRS protocol says

The captain may consult with the bowler and other fielders, and the two batsmen may consult with each other prior to deciding whether to request a Player Review. Under no circumstances is any player permitted to query an umpire about any aspect of a decision before deciding on whether or not to request a Player Review. If the on-field umpires believe that the captain or either batsman has received direct or indirect input emanating other than from the players on the field, then they may at their discretion decline the request for a Player Review. In particular, signals from the dressing room must not be given.

In the 57th over of Sri Lanka’s innings, Nigel Llong upheld an lbw appeal from Mohammed Shami when an indipper beat Dilruwan’s forward defensive and hit him on the back pad. Dilruwan turned around and began walking back towards the dressing room, only to turn around and ask for a review.With replays suggesting the ball had struck Dilruwan’s pad outside the line of off stump, Llong had to change his decision to not out.It was not clear what prompted Dilruwan to change his mind, but the TV commentators speculated over whether he had received some sort of signal from the dressing room to turn back and ask for a review.The SLC sent out a release after the day’s play, stating that: “Contrary to the assumptions made, there was no ‘message from the dressing room’ involved in the requested review.”Having mistakenly assumed that Sri Lanka were out of reviews, Dilruwan Perera had turned to leave the field when he heard Rangana Herath inquire from the on-field umpire Nigel Llong if Sri Lanka have any reviews left, to which Mr Llong answered in the affirmative.”It was then that Dilruwan requested the review.”In his post-match press conference, the India fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar did not want to make an issue of the incident.”That’s something I can’t speak on, because that should come out from the officials, and we haven’t heard anything from the officials,” he said. “So it won’t be fair to comment anything on that.”Pressed further, he said the players had not really been looking at Dilruwan when he turned around to review. “We are quiet because until there is an official word about the incident, we cannot speak about it. If we talk about it, but match referee says that was fair, then it would be the wrong thing to do.”We didn’t pay attention to the incident. We were busy celebrating, giving high-fives, and later we watched that on the [giant screen], but we didn’t comment on it because nothing was confirmed from the match officials. So we cannot say anything.”The incident recalled a similar one from Sri Lanka’s recent Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. In Sri Lanka’s second innings there, Kusal Mendis was walking back towards the dressing room after Richard Kettleborough gave him out lbw to Mohammad Abbas, when he turned around and asked for a review. In that instance, the review was unsuccessful, returning an umpire’s call verdict. Llong, incidentally, was the other on-field umpire there.In the Bengaluru Test earlier this year, umpires stopped Australia’s Steven Smith from reviewing an lbw decision against him after he was seen seeking advice from the Australian dressing room. Llong, again, was the umpire who had given him out off Umesh Yadav.In that instance, Smith admitted he had sought help from the dressing room, calling it a brain fade. Virat Kohli, India’s captain, alleged that Australia had done this on at least three occasions during the match, and the BCCI backed him, filing a complaint with the ICC asking for a further investigation. The BCCI, however, withdrew its complaint hours later, after the ICC, having reviewed video footage from the Test match, spoke to the CEOs of both boards, impressing upon them that the charge was near-impossible to prove.

Manchester United have been craving the addition of a striker for so long now, and it finally seems like they are starting to close in on their man…

How much have Manchester United spent on transfers this season?

That's according to journalist Alfredo Pedulla, who took to his website to offer a fresh update on their pursuit of Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund.

He would suggest that the Red Devils remain in contact over the Danish international, who has become an increasingly important target for Erik ten Hag to bring in. Especially considering the emergence of Paris Saint-Germain as a rival for his signature.

An offer of around €60m (£52m) plus bonuses is expected in the coming week, although it was noted back in June that the Italian outfit would not sell for any less than €100m (£87m).

Such an outlay would bring their summer spending up significantly, which has already been buoyed by the additions of Andre Onana (£47.2m) and Mason Mount (£55m). It seems poised to be yet another expensive window for the Manchester club, who are still seeking a return to their former glory days.

How good is Rasmus Hojlund?

Whilst the signing of a striker like Hojlund would almost guarantee goals, which would improve any team, it is the supplementary benefits that his arrival would bring that would surely transform Ten Hag's side.

After all, his outfit have been continuing to provide for lacklustre front-men akin to Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial, even at times operating without a number nine at all.

The emergence of someone as clinical as the 20-year-old would be paramount, as he notched 16 goals and seven assists across all competitions last season. Such a figure equalled the tallies of the two aforementioned forwards, Antony and Jadon Sancho all combined in the Premier League most recently.

Bruno Fernandes is someone who would certainly benefit from a marksman with a bit of quality, who has both the physical presence to forge space, but also the pace to latch onto his seeking long balls.

The latter asset is emphasised by writer Sacha Pisani, who claimed: "Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund is scary quick."

Last campaign the Portuguese maestro averaged 3.3 key passes per game in the Premier League, forging a ridiculous 32 big chances despite only earning eight assists, via Sofascore.

To compare these figures with Kevin De Bruyne, who has enjoyed the striking talents of Erling Haaland, the Belgian instead created 31 big chances of his own, but instead ended up with 16 assists in the league, via Sofascore.

Back during his first few campaigns at Old Trafford, following his move from Sporting CP, a huge debate raged on regarding who was the better creator out of these two attacking midfielders. After all, during the 2020/21 campaign, the 28-year-old posted 45 goal contributions across all competitions, which dwarfed the 28 of his Etihad alternative that year.

The recent success of Manchester City has seen that argument silenced in favour of the latter, but should Fernandes have his own top forward to feed off, his numbers could return to the level required to rival the 32-year-old maestro once again.

Hojlund may not quite be as clinical as Haaland, with his 17% goal conversion (in Serie A) a far cry from the 29% (in the Premier League) he will seek to emulate, but the potential the young forward boasts is huge.

If he could hit the ground running at Old Trafford, not only could his goals spearhead an unlikely title charge, but once again fans could be treated to the very best of Fernandes.

Mohamed Salah remains of interest to teams in Saudi Arabia, but the Liverpool star is not expected to make a move to the Middle East in January.

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Egyptian superstar the subject of summer offersHas a contract at Anfield through to 2025Interest from the Middle East set to be rekindledWHAT HAPPENED?

The Egyptian icon was targeted by sides in that region during the summer transfer window of 2023, with reports suggesting that bids of around £150 million ($192m) were tabled. No deal was done, with Salah tied to a contract at Anfield through to 2025.

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Another push is expected to be made from the Saudi Pro League at some stage, with Salah’s former team-mates Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino having already followed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to an ambitious and big-spending division. There is, however, little chance of Salah treading that path early in 2024.

WHAT EMENALO SAID ABOUT SALAH

Former Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo, who is now the Saudi Pro League’s director of football, has told when asked if another marquee signing could be completed in the New Year: “Mo Salah, like [Lionel] Messi, Benzema, Ronaldo and the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, these are players that, when there is a sense of availability for them, we are willing to listen. But we also understand that Mo is happy where he is at present and in a historic, wonderful club at Liverpool. We respect that very much and we don't want to come across as putting any pressure on him. But if there is any interest to do something, Mo Salah is a player that you want in your league, in any league.”

He added on the prospect of a mid-season deal being pushed through: “We respect Liverpool and in this scenario, the initiative to do anything won't come from us. There has to be an aligned interest from all parties involved. It's a very personal thing, as a player that I recruited [for Chelsea] and I like. There's nothing I'm saying that is new or ground-breaking – that a player of this level of talent is available and your league wants him. If Mo Salah is available, has an interest to come and everything is aligned, I would be incredibly delighted.”

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR SALAH?

Salah has reached the 200-goal mark at Liverpool, having previously helped them to Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup and Carabao Cup honours – with there seemingly little left for the two-time PFA Player of the Year to achieve in English football.

Between September to December, India will play 23 internationals – three Tests, 11 ODIs and nine T20Is – against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka during the home season

Arun Venugopal01-Aug-2017Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati are set to make their T20 international debuts in a packed 2017-18 home season, the BCCI has announced. Between September and December, India will play 23 internationals – three Tests, 11 ODIs and nine T20Is – against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka during the crammed home season.

India’s 2017-18 home season

• Australia: 5 ODIs in Chennai, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Indore and Kolkata; 3 T20Is in Hyderabad, Ranchi and Guwahati.

• New Zealand: 3 ODIs in Pune, Mumbai and Kanpur; 3 T20Is in Delhi, Cuttack and Rajkot.

• Sri Lanka: 3 Tests in Kolkata, Nagpur and Delhi; 3 ODIs in Dharamsala, Mohali and Vizag; 3 T20Is in Thiruvananthapuram, Indore and Mumbai.

Australia will be the first to arrive and are scheduled to play five ODIs and three T20Is in September-October, following which India will take on New Zealand in three ODIs and three T20Is. India’s home swing will then wind down with a full series against Sri Lanka, comprising three Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is. This is the second season in a row that India will host more than 20 international games after a record 2016-17 season that saw 13 Tests, eight ODIs and three T20Is being played.BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said the dates for the three tours had not been finalised yet. “The dates of the matches have deliberately not been frozen today because the logistics must factor in local factors such as festivals because as you know Durga Puja being what it is in the whole of eastern India and not only in West Bengal and other public holidays and logistics of distance,” he told reporters in Kolkata at the end of a meeting of the board’s Tours and Fixtures Committee.With the final T20I against Sri Lanka is likely to take place in the third week of December, India are likely to have a short turnaround before their full tour of South Africa. While this would mean that the chances of a Boxing Day Test in South Africa – a fixture Cricket South Africa has been pressing for – are remote, Choudhary said the possibility couldn’t be ruled out. As ESPNcricinfo had earlier reported, Sri Lanka will bring forward their tour to India from February as they now host India and one other team in the tri-nation Independence Cup during the period.”Where the question of Sri Lanka’s arrival was concerned, that tweaking has had to happen because Sri Lanka is organising an Independence Cup in Sri Lanka,” Choudhary said. “And, that will be shortly after India’s return from South Africa. Now, Sri Lanka has always co-operated with India and therefore India will actually be making a reciprocal short-version tour only to play the Independence Cup.”There is another reason for the tweaking to take place. That’s because there were six proposed exchange of tours between India and Pakistan which did not happen. So those spaces had to be adjusted with other activities.”While Choudhary said either Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram will host a T20 international against Sri Lanka, Kerala Cricket Association secretary, Jayesh George, confirmed that the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram will stage the match on December 20. The Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, which has been a first-class venue, will play host to a T20 international against Australia.”Since we have the FIFA Under-17 World Cup matches and the ISL (Indian Super League) [football tournament] in Kochi, this game will take place in Thiruvananthapuram,” George told ESPNcricinfo. “After more than 25 years, an international match is coming to the city. We have to fine-tune a few things because it is a new venue and there will be some hindrances. But, we can sort it out. We have time as well and we will be conducting a Ranji Trophy match before it.”While the stadium has been inspected and given the approval by the BCCI, the ICC is expected to conduct an inspection soon. “The BCCI’s committee visited the stadium about two months ago and they were satisfied with it,” George said. “The ICC inspection should be just a formality because all the [eligibility] criteria have been fulfilled.

Aston Villa are interested in Roma defender Roger Ibanez, if reports regarding Unai Emery’s defensive master plan are to be believed.

The Spaniard is down to the small print in his pursuit of bringing former player Pau Torres to Villa Park, with news last week reporting that a fee had been agreed between the club and the defender.

Emery’s ploy to bolster his defence could be far from over, with reports earlier this week claiming that the Villans may opt to make a move for Roma centre-back Ibanez.

The Brazilian is said to be a wanted man in the Midlands, with Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport – relayed by TEAMtalk – claiming last weekend that the club are ‘ready’ to present an opening offer to the Serie A side for the defender who is said to be valued between €25m and €30m (£21m and £26m).

Despite being a solid performer for I Giallorossi, the 24-year-old could be sold to ensure that the club meet Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions, with Ibanez seen as the ‘primary source of revenue’, via RomaPress.

Villa aren’t the only Premier League club eyeing the talent, with Tottenham also heavily linked to signing the defender this summer.

Where could Roger Ibanez fit in at Aston Villa?

Once lauded as “untouchable” by Roma boss Jose Mourinho, the 24-year-old has received high praise from a figure that has coached some of the world’s most prolific talents.

Villa are planning a revolution under the guidance of Emery after confirming European football for next season with a seventh place Premier League finish.

Signing long-term target Torres has added significant star power to the Spaniard’s back line, with himself and Monchi hoping to bring big-name talents to the Midlands in the bid to take the club to the next step.

Described by members of the media with tactical and analytic knowledge as “aggressive and proactive”, Ibanez could be not just the perfect partner for Torres, but the ideal heir to Tyrone Mings, who could see his time in the squad fizzle out during the revamp.

The Englishman has been rejuvenated under Emery, however, links to Ibanez could spell a nearing of the end of the road for the 30-year-old, who as supported by numbers, has not performed to the level of the Villa target over the last season.

When comparing the two centre-backs on their respective 2022/23 campaigns, it’s clear to see why the Villans are interested in Ibanez, who would be an upgrade to the back line at Villa Park.

As per FBref comparisons, the Brazilian averaged 2.12 interceptions and 2.16 tackles per 90 in Serie A with the Englishman falling short with an average of 1.54 interceptions and 0.43 tackles per 90 for Villa in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old’s defensive strengths are elevated in comparison to Mings, who fell short to his 1.03 average of dribblers tackled per 90, scoring just 0.43 per 90 in this area, displaying the Roma ace’s inquisitive nature.

Acting as a reliable figure in the back line, Ibanez averaged an impressive 7.02 ball recoveries per 90 to the Villa defender’s 4.97, once more showing his prowess over the 30-year-old, via FBref.

Emery could strike gold this summer by upgrading his defence with the likes of Torres and Ibanez, who have acted as two warriors in their respective leagues. As such, they are deals that could show the progressive direction of Villa’s plans going forward.

Leeds United have had a tough few months with a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of the club, however, things are starting to get back on track ahead of their Championship campaign.

The 49ers have completed their full takeover at Elland Road, buying out Andrea Radrizzani and are now working on finalising an appointment of a manager who can lead Leeds out of trouble and back into the Premier League as soon as possible.

Not only that, the American owners intend to reinvest in talent to refresh the squad during their next chapter and ambitious pursuit to establish the West Yorkshire club as a top-flight side that can comfortably compete without falling into the same patterns and repeating their mistakes again.

Indeed, without a manager it is difficult to recruit the right players without knowing the philosophy and style of play that will be implemented over the challenging 46-game campaign next season, however, it hasn't stopped them from being linked with potential targets upon the arrival of football advisor Nick Hammond last week.

One player who has been recently linked with a move to Leeds is West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jayson Molumby, a young and energetic player who could emulate Kalvin Phillips at Elland Road.

Would Molumby be a good fit for Leeds?

It is no secret that a number of players in the Leeds squad are reportedly set for an exit this summer after suffering relegation from the Premier League last month.

Both Tyler Adams and Marc Roca have been strongly linked with moves, whilst loanee Weston McKennie has gone back to Juventus after struggling to make a positive impact during his six-month stint with the Whites.

As a result, there is a real opportunity to strengthen and rebuild with vital financial backing from the owners and a sound recruitment strategy that can identify new additions to make a genuine impact next season and lead the club to better days.

Molumby has thrived under the management of former Leeds assistant coach Carlos Corberan whilst largely being deployed in the defensive midfield role, a position Phillips also thrived in when working with Corberan at Elland Road before getting a huge move to Manchester City last summer.

One standout attribute that the Irishman shares with his treble-winning positional peer is a consistently outstanding pass completion rate, with Phillips tallying up a 92.3% accuracy last season despite limited game time, whilst Molumby came in strong with 86% which was, in fact, the best pass accuracy percentage in the entire West Brom squad of those who had more than one appearance last season, according to WhoScored.

Beyond his passing ability, the 23-year-old – hailed an "insane talent" by journalist Rudi Kinsella – has displayed a number of great attributes with four goals scored, four assists and four big chances created, proving he can be a real attacking threat for opponents from his deep-lying position.

He also averaged one shot on goal, 1.4 tackles and won 3.1 duels per game over 43 Championship appearances, demonstrating further that, like Phillips, he is a real workhorse with the ability to make an impact on both defensive and progressive play.

With that being said, it would be a big coup if Leeds could secure the services of Molumby this summer and if he could make the impact that Phillips had on Leeds in the Championship there is no reason why he couldn't become the second coming of their cult hero.

Mohammad Nabi’s successful bid in the IPL auction lit up the ACB headquarters in Kabul after the first two Afghan players had gone unsold in the auction in Bangalore

Peter Della Penna20-Feb-20172:20

‘Nabi, Rashid deserve this chance’ – Moody

Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi could hardly contain his emotions upon becoming the first player from his country to secure an IPL deal, going for his base price of INR 30 lakhs to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Nabi previously played in the Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League, but said that getting a chance to go to the IPL would be entirely different.

Nabi, Rashid will represent Associates’ brilliance – Stanikzai

Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Shafiq Stanikzai has said the successful bids gained by allrounder Mohammad Nabi and legspinner Rashid Khan at the IPL auction on Monday should be a banner moment that all of Associate cricket can celebrate. Stanikzai was optimistic that the successful bids for the duo, apart from UAE batsman Chirag Suri going to Gujarat Lions, may open up more opportunities in the near future for the top six of Associate cricket such as Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Scotland.
“Especially the top six Associate nations, every team has the individual brilliance and they deserve to be at the elite level of cricket, especially at the events like IPL, BPL, PSL, Big Bash or County Cricket,” Stanikzai said. “I would say Nabi and Rashid can represent the Associate world in the IPL, and if they do well, it proves our mark that we have some individual brilliance in these top six Associate teams who are playing at the World Cricket League Championship as well as Ireland and Afghanistan at a high performance level.”

“This is the happiest day in my life,” Nabi told ESPNcricinfo from Zimbabwe, where Afghanistan are currently playing a five-match ODI series. “I’m very happy [Sunrisers Hyderabad] picked me. A little bit of happiness tears came into my eyes as well when I was selected. It was my dream to play in the IPL and for my dream to come true, that’s why I was so happy at that moment.”Nabi woke up at 5.30am in Harare for his prayers right around the time the auction began, and followed the action on a web stream alone in his hotel room. He said he “couldn’t control my feelings” when his name first came up on the screen, followed by a bid from Sunrisers management.Equally pleased for Nabi was Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Shafiq Stanikzai, who Nabi says was one of the first to congratulate him. Stanikzai said 150 staffers had gathered at the ACB headquarters in Kabul to watch the auction and that the mood was initially dampened when the first two Afghanistan players – captain Asghar Stanikzai and ICC Associate & Affiliate Player of the Year Mohammad Shahzad – received no bids. But all that changed when Nabi was picked, a moment Shafiq described as “third time lucky”, followed shortly by the signing of Rashid Khan.”I leaped from my chair when the first bid was made for Nabi,” Shafiq said. The shouts in other ACB offices only grew louder during the bidding war for Rashid. Shafiq felt having both players make it into the IPL may prove to be a transcendent moment for cricket in the country.”It is huge, not only for Afghanistan cricket but for the entire nation. Since cricket is the number one sport in the nation, we are on the verge of increasing our participants and making parents allow their children to invest their time more in cricket. This is a huge morale boost and motive for cricket to emerge more.”Such achievements are giving us more energy and more motivation that we are right in our appeals and our application at ICC level that we want to become a Test nation and a Full Member. The IPL is the No. 1 T20 league in the world, and playing with the likes of David Warner and some of the other greats, being mentored by Muttiah Muralitharan and VVS Laxman, we are quite hopeful and very sure that both of them will perform better and will be ones to look at in the IPL.”Nabi said there may now be increased expectations on him to perform. However, he was hopeful that his BPL and PSL experience would help him, and was looking forward to sharing a change room led by Warner.”I think there’s a little bit of pressure,” Nabi said. “The IPL is big, but I have played a few times in the BPL and once at the PSL. It has given me a lot of experience, and , it will not be difficult to play at the IPL. Maybe the first two games, there will be a little bit of pressure, but after that I hope to play well in the league.”After the BPL, I played PSL first time and it was my dream to play with Kevin Pietersen in the same team. I think I was lucky to be the first Afghanistan player selected in the IPL auction. It’s a dream to get to play with big names like Warner, Williamson, Yuvraj, Jordan and Mustafizur and also a nice coach in Tom Moody and Laxman. Playing with those big names and experiencing that, it will help me in my career and also to share the experience with my team-mates back home.”Having a familiar face in Rashid alongside him may ease that pressure as well. Nabi tweeted his enthusiasm at Rashid’s bid and said the 18-year-old legspinner’s presence on the global stage to lead the next generation of talent shows where Afghanistan’s cricket is heading.”It’s good news that Rashid also was selected in the same team,” Nabi said. “He’s a nice guy, nice cricketer and also a nice human being. He is elite, and maybe he is showing the whole world there is a rising star in Afghanistan, so I’m very happy he is my team-mate in the IPL.”Afghanistan cricket have a lot of achievements from the last few years. We’re in Zimbabwe and have won the first two games in this series. It’s good for the Sunrisers that Rashid will be there and it means that Afghanistan’s future is very bright that this kind of youngster is coming through quickly and shining in front of the world. It’s a bright and proud future for cricket in Afghanistan.”