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Searching for a much-needed centre-back, Liverpool are now reportedly prepared to take a key step towards their attempt to sign Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund.

Their chase to sign the Bundesliga defender comes as no surprise. Arne Slot was left with little choice but to play Andy Robertson centre-back in an attempt to rest both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate against Crystal Palace. The season-ending injury to Giovanni Leoni left the Reds with just three senior centre-backs and only compiled their current misery.

Things could have been so different had they signed Marc Guehi, of course, but those at Anfield now face a battle to land his signature for free next summer. Missing out on the Crystal Palace star a year on from coming within hours of securing his arrival would be an undeniable blow.

Six defeats in seven games have exposed Liverpool’s defensive problems so soon after missing out on Guehi in the summer and they must find a solution in 2026.

What certainly doesn’t help is the contract situation of Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman is yet to sign a new deal and is on course to leave Anfield as a free agent in the summer. Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk will be into the final year of his deal at the same time – sparking a potential crisis for the Reds.

Preparations are seemingly underway for such a scenario, with names such as Dayot Upamecano recently mentioned as reported targets, but replacing both Konate and Van Dijk would almost be an impossible task.

One player who holds similar attributes to Van Dijk, however, is Schlotterbeck. The Dortmund defender has caught Liverpool’s eye and Michael Edwards is now ready to take a key step towards his signature.

Liverpool preparing to match Schlotterbeck demand

As reported by Bild in Germany and relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are now prepared to match Schlotterbeck’s wage demands.

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The 25-year-old has reportedly rejected Dortmund’s €8m-a-year (£7m) contract offer and wants to earn in the region of €14m-a-year (£13m) instead, which would be up from his current €5m-a-year (£4m) deal.

That’s something that the German club are yet to match, but something that Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are ready to hand the defender.

Money talks on the European stage and Liverpool will hope that proves true in the summer as Schlotterbeck continues to impress.

League stats P90 25/26

Schlotterbeck

Van Dijk

Minutes

450

810

Progressive Passes

7

6.22

Successful Aerial Duels

1.60

5.11

Ball Recoveries

5.60

2.33

Whilst there will be concerns over Schlotterbeck’s struggles in the air, his passing range more than makes up for that. Completing seven progressive passes per-90 so far this season, the Dortmund star would solve Liverpool’s build-up problem almost instantly.

Described as “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Liverpool should go all out for Schlotterbeck in 2025. Not only is he good enough to replace Konate, but he could even become their Van Dijk heir in the coming years.

Why Arne Slot was left stunned in Liverpool press conference before Aston Villa

MatériaMais Notícias

Chegou o grande momento para Fortaleza e LDU. As equipes decidem, neste sábado (28), o título da Copa Sul-Americana no Estádio Domingo Burgueño Miguel, na cidade de Maldonado, no Uruguai, às 17h (horário de Brasília).

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O Leão do Pici busca ser o primeiro time nordestino a conquistar um título internacional. A equipe de Vojvoda entrou na competição após ser eliminada na terceira fase da Libertadores. O Fortaleza avançou como líder do Grupo H e eliminou o Libertad, América-MG e Corinthians no mata-mata.

O volante Hércules, que se recupera de uma cirurgia no joelho, é o único desfalque do Fortaleza para a final. Com força máxima, o técnico Vojvoda ainda não definiu se vai escalar Marinho ou Yago Pikachu no time titular.

A LDU entrou na primeira fase da Sul-Americana e despachou o Delfín. O time equatoriano terminou na liderança do Grupo A, à frente do Botafogo, e eliminou o Ñublense, São Paulo e Defensa y Justicia no mata-mata.

A LDU foi campeã da Sul-Americana, em 2009 e o técnico Luis Zubeldía aposta nos atacantes Jhojan Julio e Guerrero, principais nomes da equipe, para conquistar o bicampeonato.

+ Veja tabela e simule os resultados do Brasileirão

FORTALEZA X LDU
SUL-AMERICANA – FINAL

Local:Estádio Domingo Burgueño Miguel, Maldonado, Uruguai
Data e hora:sábado, 28 de outubro de 2023, às 17h (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro:Jesús Valenzuela (VEN)
Assistentes:Jorge Urrego (VEN) e Túlio Moreno (VEN)
Árbitro de vídeo:Jorge Baliño (ARG)
Onde assistir:SBT, ESPN, Star+ e no tempo real doLance!

FORTALEZA
João Ricardo; Tinga, Brítez, Titi e Bruno Pacheco; Zé Welison e Caio Alexandre; Marinho (Pikachu), Pocchetino e Guilherme; Lucero.Técnico:Juan Pablo Vojvoda

Desfalques:Hércules (lesionado)

Pendurados:-

LDU

Alexander Domínguez; José Quintero, Ricardo Adé, Facundo Rodríguez e Leonel Quiñónez; Ezequiel Piovi e Mauricio Martínez; Renato Ibarra, Jhojan Julio e Alexander Alvarado (Sebastián González); Paulo Guerrero.Técnico:Luís Zubeldia

Desfalques:-

Pendurados:-

Manchester United are now ready to join the race for an “unbelievable” £75m midfielder amid the interest in Bruno Fernandes and doubts over Casemiro’s future.

Man Utd keen on new midfielder with Casemiro's future up in the air

Casemiro’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season, but the Brazilian has remained a key player for Man United, having arguably proven Jamie Carragher wrong since the Sky Sports pundit infamously suggested he needed to “call it a day.”

The 33-year-old has made seven Premier League appearances this season, with the only game he missed being due to suspension, and the midfielder’s defensive attributes have been on display on a regular basis over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90 (past year)

Tackles

4.05 (99th percentile)

Blocks

2.33 (99th percentile)

Clearances

2.81 (94th percentile)

There have been widespread reports suggesting the former Real Madrid man could still extend his contract, but his future remains up in the air, while there are also some doubts over whether Fernandes will remain a United player.

According to a report from The Mirror, the Portugal international, who is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, is attracting interest from elsewhere, with Saudi Pro League clubs known to be keen.

Consequently, Man United are now ready to enter the race for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, who has been a shining light for the Tricky Trees amid their poor start to the season.

Having impressed for Forest and England, Anderson’s asking price is now a whopping £75m, with a number of rival Premier League clubs also keen, including Manchester City and Chelsea.

Ruben Amorim views rebuilding his midfield as a priority, having previously looked at signing Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, with United now big admirers of the Forest star too.

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Manchester United appear to have conducted incredible business with the addition of one star.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 21, 2025 "Unbelievable" Anderson impressing for club and country

The 22-year-old has become a regular starter for the Three Lions under the helm of Thomas Tuchel, recently putting in a fantastic display in the 5-0 win against Latvia, completing 121 passes and making four tackles, the highest number of any player.

Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier has also made it clear he is a huge admirer of his former teammate, taking the time to praise his performances for Forest.

A £75m asking price is steep, but Anderson is a very well-rounded midfielder, also placing in the 85th percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, compared to other midfielders, so he would undoubtedly be an exciting addition to Amorim’s squad.

أنهى مسئولو نادي الزمالك، برئاسة حسين لبيب، أزمة المستحقات المتأخرة للجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم واللاعبين.

ويعاني الزمالك، من أزمة مالية خلال الفترة الحالية، والتي تسببت في تأخر مستحقات اللاعبين والجهاز الفني.

طالع.. خاص بالأرقام | “يريد منحة تعاقد”.. لاعب الزمالك يرفض عرض التجديد

وعلم بطولات من مصادر خاصة، أن الزمالك صرف راتب الجهاز الفني بقيادة يانيك فيريرا المتأخرة وأرسل جزء من مستحقات اللاعبين في حساباتهم الشخصية.

ويستعد الفريق الأول للكرة بنادي الزمالك، في الوقت الحالي لمواجهة البنك الأهلي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري المصري.

Mumbai Indians (MI) batting coach Kieron Pollard is ecstatic that his prediction about Rohit Sharma has come true.Rohit has turned his season around with back-to-back 70s in his last two innings, both coming in comfortable wins for MI. But it was hardly this rosy at the start of IPL 2025 for the former MI captain.He had scored just 82 runs in his first six innings and was also struggling with an injury, which forced him to miss a game. It was around this time that Pollard was grilled about the form of MI’s most experienced batter. He had at the time said that Rohit should not be judged after a few low scores and that he would bounce back. As he has.Related

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“If my memory serves me right, at the start of this competition, that question was different,” Pollard said when asked about Rohit’s surge in form. “I said sitting right here, we are also going to be singing his praises as an individual. For us, we always had that belief that he is going to come good.”There are dips. There is low confidence. But for someone who has played this sport for a long time, you have these moments. Sometimes you just need that extra support from people. Now we are singing his praises. We are all very happy in the Mumbai dressing room. We were happy at the start as well, knowing that it is going to happen, and long may it continue.”The headlines are going to be about that. But for us, in our entire batting unit, we look for guys to perform at different junctures in a tournament. We are not going to individualise it.”MI had a torrid run at the start of the season, losing four of their first five games. Since then, though, they have won four in a row. It is not the first time that MI’s season has started slowly before they have picked up pace. Pollard said it was down to some teams gelling faster, while some teams take time. He also said MI have now “found a sort of a method”, which was working for them.”There is no ‘more important’ part in IPL,” Pollard said when asked if the second half of the season carried more significance than the first half. “It all depends on form and confidence of the team. In the second half, you build a bit of momentum. You will tend to say now is more important. But you have 14 games in a tournament. Each and every game is important. Some teams gel faster than some or they start off pretty quickly. Some teams build the momentum and come into the back end.”The most important thing is trying to qualify for the playoffs and get into the final and see if you can win. That is important.”Pollard also heaped praise on MI captain Hardik Pandya, particularly the way he’s handled himself after last season. Hardik had an acrimonious start to his MI captaincy stint where he was welcomed with loud boos wherever he went. However, things have been much smoother this year.Hardik Pandya has proven to be an able leader•AFP/Getty Images

With the bat, Hardik is striking at 170.49 so far in IPL 2025, while with the ball, he has 12 wickets in nine innings at an economy of 9.08.”It is great to see a human being that has been challenged in different facets of not only cricket but of life come out and continue to show what cricket and what winning means to him as a human being,” Pollard said. “I know he is enjoying cricket as we have all seen from international cricket, winning World Cups, to Champions Trophy. It is an individual that has gone through a lot.”For me, I am happy to see where he is at right now. And as I said previously, we are all human beings in this world. So sometimes we need to give a bit of leeway to some individuals at certain times.”Who says he won’t have another down? And who says he is not going to have another up as well? So that is what life is about and that is what the journey is about. So I am happy for Hardik.”

To qualify, Scotland and West Indies need to win their next matches by big margins and hope Bangladesh lose badly to Pakistan

Firdose Moonda17-Apr-2025

Pakistan confirmed their participation at the Women’s ODI World Cup after beating Thailand by 87 runs to secure their fourth win of the qualifier. Pakistan, with eight points, are at the top of the table and can only be matched by Bangladesh, who they play on Saturday and are in pole position to take the second World Cup spot.Two other teams – Scotland and West Indies – are also in contention. In order to qualify, Scotland and West Indies need to win their matches against Ireland and Thailand respectively by big margins and hope Bangladesh lose badly enough to Pakistan to dip below them in net run rate terms. Bangladesh can qualify for the World Cup even if they lose to Pakistan and both Scotland and West Indies win their final matches because of their net run rate advantage.Pakistan will be thrilled to have avoided the intricacies of calculations like these after they booked their World Cup places with a game to spare. They are also unbeaten on home turf and have rediscovered their form. Before the qualifiers, Pakistan had last won an ODI in December 2023 and were on a five-game losing streak. In the last week, they put that right and reeled off four straight wins, albeit not always easily, and will now play in their fifth successive World Cup.Related

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Their participation will require additional logistics for the tournament, scheduled for India from late September. In keeping with the hybrid model agreed by the BCCI and PCB ahead of this year’s Champions Trophy, Pakistan are unlikely to travel to India for the tournament and will play their matches at a yet-to-be-decided neutral venue.Pakistan will not worry about that for now as they celebrate their qualification run led by their captain Fatima Sana. She injected energy into a pedestrian innings that was meandering at 119 for 4 after 40 overs – a scoring rate of under three runs an over – with a quickfire unbeaten 62 off 59 balls. Sana and Sidra Amin, who posted her third fifty-plus score of the qualifiers with 80 off 105 balls, shared a run-ball 97-run stand and Pakistan scored 86 runs in the last ten overs to give themselves a defendable total.Take nothing away from Thailand’s bowlers, who were disciplined for the bulk of the innings and created several chances. Two of them were off Sana’s bat and she was caught twice off the bowling of offspinner Onnicha Kamchomphu but the deliveries were judged no-balls and Sana continued batting. Without her contribution, Pakistan may have been concerned especially as Thailand’s batting has improved as the campaign has gone on.They scored 259 chasing 306 against Ireland two days ago which was their highest ODI score and would have believed that even though they had never successfully chased a target above 200, they could give it a good go. Thailand were hard done by when opener Chanida Sutthiruang was given out stumped off Sadia Iqbal when replays seemed to suggest her foot was grounded behind the line when Sidra Nawaz broke the stumps. But they could not complain when Sana, who came on to bowl in the tenth over, sent down a delivery on a perfect offstump line and Nattaya Boochatham edged behind. Two balls later, Nannapat Koncharoenkai was bowled by offspinner Rameem Shamim and at 44 for 3, Thailand’s chances looked grim.They worked their way to 100 before Sana struck again. She bowled Thipatcha Putthawong and Suwanan Khiaoto to pick up 3 for 39 and is now the joint second highest wicket-taker of the qualifiers, three wickets behind Hayley Matthews. Thailand were bowled out for 118 in the 35th over. They remain winless from their four matches so far and sign off against West Indies on Saturday in a match West Indies will be looking to win by as large a margin as possible.West Indies still in contentionWest Indies kept their World Cup hopes alive with a three-wicket win over Bangladesh, who suffered their first loss of the campaign. The result came against the run of play against a West Indies’ side that seemed to be unraveling especially in this match.Aaliyah Alleyne starred with four wickets•Getty Images

Early on in the Bangladesh innings, an on-field collision between Matthews and Chinelle Henry as they both tried to get under a skied ball, took them both off the field for a period of time and shortly afterwards, West Indies coach Shane Deitz had been gesturing in frustration to his bowlers. Matthews and Henry returned with no damage done and Deitz had calmed down but Bangladesh were comfortably positioned on 134 for 1 in the 28th over and West Indies looked out of ideas. Sharmin Akhter had registered her third half-century of the tournament and overtaken Nigar Sultana Joty at the tip of the run-scorers’ list. In the circumstances, Bangladesh were in complete control.Then, Fargana Hoque popped a chance back to Aaliyah Alleyne, who took a good, low catch in her follow through and a procession began. Alleyne bowled Sharmin Akhter two balls later and Bangladesh’s two set batters were both dismissed but they still had Nigar Sultana in hand. It was when Alleyne also bowled her, for 5, that Bangladesh would have started to wonder where the big runs would come from. Afy Fletcher took two wickets in two overs, Matthews took two in three overs and Alleyne finished off with career-best figures of 4 for 39. She is now the second leading wicket-taker at the event, behind Matthews. Bangladesh lost eight wickets for 80 runs and their total of 227 did not seem enough.West Indies brought Qiana Joseph back into the team after she missed the Pakistan match and she appeared in much better touch than before. Her 39-ball 31 ensured West Indies had a good start. They were 60 for 2 when Joseph was dismissed and 140 for 3 in the 30th over and progressing steadily. Marufa Akter’s stunning double strike took out both Matthews and Stafanie Taylor – fantastically caught when Marufa stuck her left-arm above her head in her follow-through – and at 147 for 5, Bangladesh would have been eyeing victory.Henry and Shabika Gajnabi shared a 50-run sixth-wicket stand to keep West Indies in the hunt. As the senior partner, Henry took control, scored quickly and was aggressive in her strokeplay. She was on 33 off 40 balls when Gajnabi was caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary and would have known it was up to her to close the game out. Henry went on to bring up her fourth ODI half-century, hit two sixes and got West Indies to the total with four overs to spare.With this result, West Indies moved up to four points, level with Scotland but with a worse net run-rate.

A £20m Arsenal player who Mikel Arteta called “exceptional” now “wants to leave”, and a move across Europe is “very likely”.

Arteta praises his side after victory at Old Trafford

The fixture list handed the Gunners a tricky start to the 2025-26 campaign, as travelling to Old Trafford is always a daunting task, but Arteta’s side got the job done courtesy of a first-half header from Riccardo Calafiori, and the manager was pleased with the performance.

The Spaniard was particularly impressed with his side’s “phenomenal” display from a defensive standpoint, while he also praised the way in which they were able to handle the occasion, given the raucous atmosphere at Old Trafford.

William Saliba and Gabriel were, of course, at the heart of the defence, as the centre-back duo usually are if they are both fit, which means the north Londoners’ back-up options only receive limited game time.

That may not be too much of an issue for younger players, such as new signing Cristhian Mosquera, but defenders in the prime of their career are unlikely to want to play second fiddle.

As such, there is a feeling that Jakub Kiwior could now be heading for the exit door this summer, with Włodarczyk recently taking to X to reveal the Polish defender “wants to leave”, amid interest from FC Porto.

In fact, a move to the Liga Portugal club is deemed “very likely”, as they “haven’t given up”, after submitting an official offer back in July.

The 25-year-old, who joined the Gunners for £20m back in 2023, was left out of the squad that travelled to Old Trafford, and talks over an exit are currently “ongoing”.

Losing "exceptional" Kiwior could be blow for Arteta

Given that Saliba and Gabriel are almost nailed on to start in the Premier League if they are available, it is always going to be a difficult task for the Poland international to force his way into the side, but he has impressed when given the opportunity.

Indeed, with Gabriel sidelined due to injury, the former Spezia man was given the nod against Paris Saint-Germain the Champions League semi-final last season, and he certainly caught Arteta’s eye with his performance.

The Arsenal boss said: “He deserves a lot of credit because he hasn’t played too much throughout many months, and suddenly he’s been thrown into the most difficult context, at the highest level, playing against the best opponents, when you haven’t had the physical rhythm or the confidence to do it, and I think he’s been exceptional.”

Dependable back-up options are hard to come by, so it would be disappointing to lose Kiwior this summer, although not the end of the world, given Mosquera’s arrival.

West Ham United have now intensified contact to sign a “phenomenal” player, who is also being targeted by rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham keen on attacking midfielder amid Paqueta uncertainty

There have been widespread reports that West Ham could now be willing to cash-in on Lucas Paqueta this summer, should they receive an offer of £60m, and Tottenham have now joined the race for the Brazilian’s signature.

Indeed, with Spurs missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, they could now look to raid their London rivals once again, having already signed Mohammed Kudus earlier in the transfer window.

The Hammers have a big decision to make when it comes to Paqueta’s future, having stuck by the 27-year-old during the investigation into spot-fixing allegations, which he has now been cleared of.

However, during that time, the 55-time Brazil international hasn’t exactly been at his best, failing to kick on last season after impressing in his opening two campaigns at the London Stadium.

Season

Appearances (all comps)

Goal contributions

2022-23

41

12

2023-24

43

15

2024-25

38

6

With Paqueta’s future up in the air, West Ham are now stepping up their efforts to sign a new attacking midfielder, having intensified contact over a deal for AS Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini, according to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness).

Pellegrini, who is also being targeted by Tottenham, is set to be allowed to leave Roma for just €10m (£9m) this summer, making him a low-cost addition to Graham Potter’s squad, and the Irons have now made an approach.

Roma sporting director Frederic Massara has confirmed the decision to sanction the 29-year-old’s departure, saying: “As soon as I arrived, I informed Pellegrini that we would not be renewing his contract; it’s a decision we shared. For this reason, in order not to lose the player for free and because of Lorenzo’s wishes, we are seeing if there are opportunities for him.”

"Phenomenal" Pellegrini has impressive record at Roma

In many ways, it is a surprise that Roma have been unwilling to extend the Italian’s contract, given that the playmaker has been a regular source of goals and assists throughout his time with the club, chipping in with 114 goal contributions in 316 outings.

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However, the Rome-born midfielder fell below his usual standards in the 2024-25 campaign, picking up just two goals and two assists in the Serie A, which suggests he may not be much of an upgrade on Paqueta.

That said, it could still be worth pursuing the 36-time Italy international, given that a deal would not break the bank, and the maestro is versatile, having regularly featured in both attacking and defensive midfield roles throughout his career so far.

As such, while West Ham shouldn’t sanction Paqueta’s departure, especially to Tottenham, Pellegrini could be a solid addition to Potter’s squad, which evidently needs a fresh injection of quality, given the torrid start to the campaign.

It is expected that Shreyas Iyer will, however, continue to lead the side

PTI01-Dec-2024India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav will be back in action for Mumbai’s next Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) game, against Andhra on December 3 after taking a two-week break to attend a family function. He is expected to play the remainder of the tournament and also feature in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy starting December 21.It’s likely Suryakumar will not lead Mumbai in SMAT with Shreyas Iyer in charge till now and expected to continue in that position. It is understood that Suryakumar is fine with Iyer continuing as the captain and is ready to bat at any position that the team management feels is suitable for him.Suryakumar, who led India to an emphatic 3-1 series win over South Africa recently, will link up with the Mumbai squad in Hyderabad on Monday and is expected to turn up for the next game. Placed fourth in Group E, Mumbai have won two of their three games so far and have two league games left after Sunday, when they play against Nagaland.The ongoing SMAT has seen a number of high-profile names participate after the T20I tour of South Africa, such as Hardik Pandya, Iyer, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy, and others. Suryakumar had also played one round of the Ranji Trophy in October before leaving for South Africa.

The BCB has appointed Mohammad Salahuddin as the senior assistant coach of the Bangladesh men’s team. His contract will run until March 15 next year much like head coach Phil Simmons’. Salahuddin’s first assignment will likely be Bangladesh’s tour of the West Indies, which begins with a four-day warm-up match in Antigua.Salahuddin has previously served as Bangladesh’s assistant and fielding coach under Dav Whatmore and Jamie Siddons. He also worked as a specialist coach in the BCB’s national cricket academy from 2010 to 2011 before becoming Singapore’s head coach in 2014. He holds an ACC-Cricket Australia Level 3 accreditation.Regarded as one of the foremost cricketing voices in Bangladesh, Salahuddin has had a contentious relationship with the BCB in recent years. He was appointed as a batting consultant in 2017 only for them to change their decision at the last minute. He has often been critical of the board’s position with respect to pitches and selection.Salahuddin is also regarded highly by most players in Bangladesh, having started his coaching by developing the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal when they were young. He is also influential in the growth of the current crop of cricketers like Jaker Ali and Mahidul Islam Ankon.BCB president Faruque Ahmed said Salahuddin ticked a number of boxes for the role. In his first press conference as the board chief, Faruque had said that he was in favour of promoting Bangladeshi coaches.”When I took over as BCB president, I made a commitment to provide opportunities for deserving candidates to contribute to the national team set-up,” he said. “Salahuddin brings with him a wealth of experience, pedigree, and knowledge, making him the ideal candidate for this role. I firmly believe it is time to integrate more capable Bangladeshi coaches into the system.”