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Russell Martin was officially unveiled as the new head coach of Glasgow Rangers earlier this month, and he is tasked with bringing glory back to Ibrox.

The Light Blues have not won the Scottish Premiership title for four years and ended the 2024/25 campaign without a single trophy to show for their efforts.

Martin and Kevin Thelwell must build a team that can challenge Celtic for the title next season, and there is already work going on behind the scenes to bring in fresh recruits.

Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale, Leicester’s Conor Coady, and Swansea’s Harry Darling are just a few of the reported targets that the Gers boss is looking to snap up from the English market that he is familiar with.

Whilst they are in the market to improve the defence, with those two centre-backs and a goalkeeper, Rangers must also bolster their attacking options before the window slams shut.

They confirmed earlier this summer that Ianis Hagi’s contract would not be renewed, making him a free agent this summer, and his exit will leave a hole to fill.

Why losing Ianis Hagi is a blow for Rangers

Allowing the Romania international to move on from Ibrox was a bold decision and one that means the Gers have lost a proven Premiership performer who provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Hagi, who returned to the fold under Philippe Clement during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, after spending the previous year on loan at Alaves in Spain, caught the eye with his performances off the left flank or as an attacking midfielder.

The 26-year-old, as shown in the clip above, stepped up in big moments for the Scottish giants and Martin is going to need to find another wide attacker who can make a similar impact at the top end of the pitch.

Losing a quality player on a free transfer also means that the Gers may need to make sales in other positions in order to raise the funds to sign a replacement, as it will not be easy to find a star of Hagi’s quality.

As you can see in the table above, the Romanian magician was particularly impressive as a creator, but also showed his class as a goalscorer for the Light Blues.

This is why it is so important for Martin to recruit a new winger, or attacking midfielder, who has the potential to deliver goal contributions on a regular basis next season.

With this in mind, the former Scotland international should push the club to seriously pursue a deal to sign one of their reported transfer targets, Leeds United ace Largie Ramazani.

Rangers' reported interest in Largie Ramazani

At the start of this month, TEAMtalk claimed that Rangers are interested in a swoop to sign the Belgian winger from the Championship champions during the summer transfer window.

The outlet reported that the Scottish giants have ’emerged’ as possible suitors to land the former Almeria flanker, who signed for Leeds for a fee of £10m in the summer of 2024.

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It added, however, that Rangers were simply monitoring the situation and that a transfer was not at any advanced stage, to which there has not been any update in the subsequent few weeks.

TEAMtalk claimed that Daniel Farke had not made a final decision on the attacker’s future at Elland Road, because he would like to see how the winger does in pre-season before making the call, which suggests that the Gers may have to play the long game with Ramazani.

If the Light Blues can eventually get a deal done for the Belgian star, whether that is a loan or a permanent move, then Martin could have a brilliant replacement for Hagi in the building, as he is also a left-sided attacker who can also play centrally.

Why Rangers should sign Largie Ramazani

Martin should sign Ramazani for Rangers as a perfect replacement for the Romania international because his performances for Leeds in the 2024/25 campaign suggest that he has the potential to explode as a regular starter in Scotland.

The former Manchester United academy graduate first made a name for himself with Almeria, scoring 22 goals in 128 matches, before his move to Leeds last year.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig even compared him to Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior and described the Belgian sensation as an “explosive” forward who can be a “counter attacking weapon” for his team.

Ramazani did not get too many opportunities to showcase that quality in the Championship this term, starting seven of his 29 appearances, but the 24-year-old whiz caught the eye in his limited minutes on the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, the Leeds winger ranked very highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Ramazani ended the season with six goals and two assists in the league, despite starting just seven times, which speaks to the kind of quality he could provide Rangers with if they give him an opportunity to play week-in-week-out as a starter.

This suggests that the Gers target could perfectly replace Hagi, as another right-footed forward who can play off the left or centrally in a number ten role, whilst he can also play on the right if needed.

Ramazani has the quality, as shown by his spell in Spain and his impressive performances in limited game time in England, to fill the hole that Hagi’s release has left at Ibrox.

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It is now down to Martin and Thelwell to seal a deal for the Whites attacker if Farke decides to make him available for a transfer in the coming weeks.

Manchester United have been known for big sales over the years, often making big-money on players, which has led to their own heavy spending in the transfer market.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains their record sale to this day, after the Portuguese sensation departing in a £80m deal to join Real Madrid way back in the summer of 2009.

Romelu Lukaku and Ángel Di María both also departed Old Trafford for fees over £50m, with the club not afraid to offload stars, even if it resulted in a loss on the money paid for their signatures.

This summer could see multiple other stars depart the Theatre of Dreams, as Ruben Amorim looks to offload options to allow for funds to make the desired impact in 2025/26.

Numerous stars have already been touted with a switch during the off-season, with one player set to follow in the footsteps of another former star in the coming months.

The latest on players who could leave United this summer

Rasmus Hojlund has failed to deliver at United this season, only scoring four league goals – even going 21 games without a goal at one stage, highlighting his lack of impact.

He’s already been of interest from Italian sides Napoli and Inter Milan, with the Red Devils looking to recruit as much of the £72m fee forked out for his signature two years ago.

However, he could be joined out the door by winger Antony, who looks almost certain to leave the club this summer, according to one Spanish outlet’s latest report.

They claim that Jason Wilcox has already entered talks with Spanish side Real Betis over a deal for the Brazilian, who registered nine goals and five assists on loan with the same outfit last season.

It also states that Amorim’s side are demanding a fee in the region of £50m to part ways with the 25-year-old this summer, but the Spanish side are only prepared to offer around £30m.

Why United’s £50m star could be their next Elanga

Attacker Anthony Elanga joined United at the age of 12, rising through the youth ranks at Old Trafford, before making an impact in the first-team back in 2021.

The Swede managed to score against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, a moment that was undoubtedly the highlight of his time as a Red Devil.

However, he would leave in a £15m deal to join Nottingham Forest back in the summer of 2023, a deal that has since proved to be a huge mistake, with the forward taking his career to the next level since.

The 23-year-old has registered 32 combined goals and assists across all competitions in the last two seasons, including a tremendous solo effort against Amorim’s side back in April.

As a result, he’s been the subject of a £50m bid from Newcastle United, showcasing the rise he’s enjoyed since leaving United – with the club undoubtedly selling him for a bargain.

They must regret such a deal, something which could happen once again this summer, with Antony set to follow in his footsteps by succeeding away from the club next campaign.

The Brazilian, who’s been labelled “unbelievable” by content creator Angry Ginge, has already demonstrated his quality away from United this campaign – showcasing he still has the tools to be a success at the club.

Games played

17

Goals & assists

7

Pass accuracy

84%

Shots taken

2.8

Shots on target

1.2

Chances created

2.4

Successful dribbles

1.6

His underlying figures from his time in Spain showcase his talents, creating 2.4 chances per 90 and completing 1.6 dribbles per 90, highlighting the threat he carries with the ball at his feet.

Antony has also managed 2.8 shots per 90 along with 1.2 shots on target per 90, having the end product that United have often lacked – as seen by Hojlund’s unthinkable goal drought.

Whilst his time at Old Trafford has undoubtedly been a disappointing one given his £86m transfer fee, he still has the potential to shine at the club, as seen by his recent run away from the Theatre of Dreams.

It’s highly unlikely that his £50m asking price will be met this summer, which could prove to be a blessing in disguise, with the club potentially regretting his departure, and having the chance to replicate Elanga in the process.

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Looking to ensure that their wait for silverware is far less than the years before winning this season’s FA Cup, Crystal Palace are now reportedly intensifying talks to sign an 18-year-old prospect who is already making waves.

Crystal Palace set to celebrate FA Cup in style

After upsetting the odds to defeat Manchester City in the FA Cup final, Crystal Palace have confirmed that they will be enjoying an open-top bus parade through south London this Monday.

The Eagles released a message to the fans to reveal the celebrations that are planned, saying on the official club website: “It’s the day you’ve long been waiting for: Palace’s open-top bus parade will transport your FA Cup winning heroes, and the historic trophy itself, down the SE25 streets starting at the top of Whitehorse Lane from 12:45.

“The parade route will see the bus start at the top of Whitehorse Lane, turning into Park Road and then down Holmesdale Road; this is expected to last approximately 45 minutes. Be there to bring the noise, and celebrate with Oliver Glasner’s outstanding Eagles as they show off our legendary prize.”

For many, they will deem Palace’s victory a once-in-a-lifetime moment, but Steve Parish and the rest of those at Selhurst Park will be desperate to make sure that such celebrations become more than just a rarity. And Glasner will be a big part of that.

The job that the Austrian has completed in south London deserves immense praise, but he may just be getting started. Crystal Palace are now a Europa League club and have the chance to create more moments of history with Glasner at the helm.

With European football to offer too, Palace could beat Premier League rivals Fulham to the arrival of an impressive 18-year-old midfielder this summer.

Crystal Palace intensify talks to sign Bongeli

According to Africa Foot, as relayed by Sport Witness, Crystal Palace are now set to intensify talks to sign Faveurdi Bongeli from TP Mazembe this summer. The 18-year-old midfielder is reportedly already making waves and has attracted the interest of the Eagles alongside Fulham and German Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach.

With plenty of competition for his signature, it’s no surprise that Palace have seemingly stepped up their efforts to win the race for Bongeli’s signature. Though still a teenager, the Palace target has already been making his mark on senior football, starting three of Mazembe’s five CAF Champions League games and winning once.

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Despite that, it must be said that he still has a long way to go before he is capable of breaking into Glasner’s Palace midfield. Whether those in south London will be willing to take a chance on an unproven young player remains to be seen, in what could be a frustrating blow for Bongeli.

A player with plenty of potential, even despite his lack of experience, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Palace decide to give rivals a free run at a young star. Bongeli, meanwhile, could have the most important decision of his career to make in the coming months.

Liverpool have won back the Premier League from Manchester City, five years after they last stoop atop the mountainous English pyramid.

Pep Guardiola’s side have broken records to win four in a row since Jurgen Klopp put Liverpool back on their perch, but City have fallen by the wayside this season and Arsenal have never managed to build the requisite consistency to end their recent runner-up reputation.

But consistency has been Arne Slot’s middle name this year, his first since replacing Klopp in the Anfield dugout and putting the Reds back in the ascendency.

It bears testament to FSG’s business model that already sporting director Richard Hughes is liaising with Michel Edwards ahead of the summer transfer window, with signings needed in defence and attack to protect this exciting new position at the summit.

Ryan Gravenberch, a revelation

Gravenberch is a Premier League-winning midfielder. The Dutchman has started every single match as Liverpool have capered toward the title, deeply set in the midfield soil, no way of being uprooted.

Who saw it coming? Many of a Liverpool persuasion will no doubt admit they had reservations after a stop-start 2023/24 campaign, his first in England after Klopp completed his midfield rebuild by signing the Bayern Munich prospect for a £34m fee at the end of the 2023 summer transfer window.

The Netherlands international, 22, has recently spoken of the adversity he has had to overcome after playing so infrequently last year, and while he’s looked a little sapped at times recently, Gravenberch has been “first-class all season” in the eyes of pundit Peter Crouch.

Matches (starts)

26 (12)

34 (34)

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

4

Touches*

28.8

67.3

Pass completion

83%

89%

Key passes*

0.6

0.7

Dribbles*

0.9

1.0

Ball recoveries*

2.8

5.3

Tackles + interceptions*

1.5

3.6

Duels (won)*

2.8 (47%)

5.0 (58%)

He’s effectively improved across every metric, turning from a meandering midfield prospect into a deep-lying general of surpassing quality.

However, Gravenberch has indeed alluded to the fact that he’s been overworked, and it’s something Slot and Hughes have considered, for Liverpool seem to be getting ready to sign a midfield rival this summer.

Liverpool ready to sign Premier League midfielder

According to reports, via Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing FA Cup hero Adam Wharton this summer and are preparing to lodge a £50m offer in the coming months.

Wharton, 21, has been a revelation at Crystal Palace and is not going to be short of suitors, with Arsenal and Manchester United also reported to be keen on doing a deal.

Though Liverpool’s title-winning midfield is probably the area of the pitch least in need of external assistance, Wharton might prove to complete the puzzle and maybe even leave Gravenberch sweating over the security of his starting berth.

Why Adam Wharton would be perfect for Liverpool

Crystal Palace produced a consummate performance against Aston Villa last weekend to set their place in next month’s FA Cup final. Wharton was among the standouts, with BBC pundit Shay Given even likening him to a rather well-respected midfielder of old.

Centre-midfielder Wharton left Blackburn Rovers in the Championship to sign for the Eagles for an initial £18m fee, leaving the club that had reared him.

He’s not going to have looked back, striking from the get-go a reputation for his slick passing and composed stride in the centre of the park.

His renown has burgeoned over the past 15 months, reaching its apotheosis (so far) after dismantling a Villa side at Wembley to move within touching distance of a first major trophy in Palace’s long history.

As per FBref, Wharton ranks among the top 5% of Premier League midfielders this season for progressive passes, the top 9% for ball recoveries and the top 15% for shot-creating actions made per 90, perfectly illustrating his elite passing game, crisp as you like while being creative too. He’s also a thoroughbred athlete, covering so much ground.

It’s a similar profile to that of Gravenberch. Although the argument that he’s performing such metrics to a lesser standard is there. It’s recorded that the Dutchman ranks among the top 31% of said midfielders for progressive passes, but also among the bottom 36% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Given that both players operate in positionally similar zones, it’s easy to ascertain that Wharton is the better man in distribution. Moreover, he doesn’t shirk from his defensive duties either, winning 1.8 tackles per Premier League game this season, as per Sofascore.

There’s nothing to say that these two players couldn’t work in conjunction within Slot’s Liverpool set-up, but there’s little question that Gravenberch lacks the natural-born seamlessness in possession. Not to say it’s a tactical deficiency of his, but rather, a glowing endorsement of Wharton’s talent.

The fact is, Gravenberch has lulled, and while he has areas that eclipse that of Palace’s man, the semblance between the two, which still manages to contrast and show off distinctive qualities, suggests that Liverpool would hit the jackpot in forging ahead with a deal for Selhurst Park’s midfield star.

Slot’s finely-wrought system hasn’t seen too much tinkering this term, but Wharton would be able to ply his work effectively at number six, fitting in for Gravenberch and given the opportunity to make the role his own.

He’s demonstrated his capacity on the big occasion, with esteemed journalist Henry Winter describing Wharton as a “passing machine” and the “best player on the pitch” during the FA Cup semi-final.

You could even make the strong claim that the one-cap England international has the superior ball-playing game to Gravenberch and may well be a more fitting number six in Slot’s flowing system.

In any case, having both in the mix would hardly be a bad thing; indeed, this is exactly the type of move that Liverpool need to make so as to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League.

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Stats highlights from the Champions Trophy semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa in Lahore

ESPNcricinfo stats team05-Mar-20251:51

What makes Ravindra such a standout player?

5 Hundreds for Rachin Ravindra in ODIs, all in ICC tournaments: three in the 2023 World Cup and two in this Champions Trophy.No one else has scored their first five ODI hundreds in ICC tournaments. Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah made all his four ODI hundreds at ICC tournaments.67.00 Ravindra’s batting average in ICC ODI tournaments (World Cup and Champions Trophy) – 804 runs in 13 innings with two fifties and five hundreds. It is the highest average among 80 batters with a minimum of 750 runs in these tournaments.362 for 6 New Zealand’s total against South Africa is the highest by any team at the Champions Trophy, surpassing Australia’s 356 for 5 against England, also in Lahore in this tournament. It is also New Zealand’s highest against South Africa in ODIs. And only once have South Africa conceded a higher total in ICC ODI tournaments – 377 for 6 against Australia in the 2007 World Cup.3 Number of totals in ODI knockouts, higher than New Zealand’s 362 for 6. The highest is 397 for 4 by India against New Zealand in the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final.3 Hundreds for Kane Williamson in his last three ODI innings against South Africa. He is the first player to score a hat-trick of hundreds against South Africa in this format. Williamson had unbeaten hundreds in his previous two innings against them – 106 not out in the 2019 World Cup and 133* in the 2025 tri-series in Pakistan.167.57 Williamson’s strike rate in his last 37 balls in the Champions Trophy semi-final against South Africa. He scored 62 runs with seven fours and two sixes after striking at only 70.18 in his first 57 balls (40 runs with three fours).65 Runs conceded by Keshav Maharaj in his ten overs, the most he has conceded in an ODI since his debut against England in 2017, when he gave away 72 runs.The fast bowlers from both sides took a beating in Lahore•AFP/Getty Images65 Innings since New Zealand last had a century partnership for the opening wicket in ODIs – 106 between Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls against India in February 2020.New Zealand is one of three teams in men’s ODIs without a century opening stand in this period – Canada (20 matches) and Jersey (5) being the others.31.55 New Zealand’s average opening partnership since their last century stand in ODIs, the lowest among the teams in the ongoing Champions Trophy, and the third-lowest among Full-Member teams.7 Wickets for New Zealand’s spinners on Wednesday, the joint-most they have picked up in a men’s ODI, alongside the seven against Bangladesh in 2023. New Zealand bowled 28 overs of spin, while South Africa bowled only 14 overs of spin for zero wickets and an economy rate of 6.28.The South Africa pacers collectively conceded 269 runs in the 36 overs they bowled, with all three specialist pacers going for 70-plus runs. New Zealand’s pacers were also on the receiving end, conceding 7.68 runs an over in the 22 overs they bowled.7 Number of wickets lost by South Africa between the 21st and 40th overs of their innings, during which they scored 116 runs. On the other hand, New Zealand lost only two in that period and scored 139 runs to set themselves up for a strong finish in the death overs.Losing wickets regularly left South Africa with only two wickets in hand for the last ten overs, putting them well behind in the game, despite nearly matching New Zealand’s total in the first 20 overs (113 for 1) by getting to 107 for 1.67 Balls that David Miller needed for his hundred, the fastest by any batter at the Champions Trophy. The previous quickest was off 77 balls by Virender Sehwag in 2002 and Josh Inglis earlier this tournament, both against England.With Miller being the third batter to smash a hundred on Wednesday, the New Zealand-South Africa match became the first at the Champions Trophy to feature three centurions.96.43 Percentage of runs scored by Miller during the 56-run stand with Lungi Ngidi for the tenth wicket. Miller scored 54 runs of those, while Ngidi scored a single, and one more run came off a wide. Miller scored each of the last 54 runs in South Africa’s innings, having faced 25 of their last 26 balls.

He was on his way to becoming one of the forgotten men of West Indies cricket, but has now been named in their World Cup Qualifier squad

Deivarayan Muthu08-Jun-2023Johnson Charles became the forgotten man of West Indies cricket after their – and his – second T20 World Cup title in 2016. Since the end of that tournament and the start of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, Charles had played just five T20Is.But, after strong returns in CPL 2022, he returned to West Indies’ T20I set-up and earlier this year, and smashed a 39-ball hundred in Centurion – the fastest by a West Indian in men’s T20Is, bettering Chris Gayle’s 47-ball effort.Charles, however, wasn’t supposed to travel to the UAE with West Indies’ ODI squad for the ongoing three-match series, but Devon Thomas’ suspension opened the door for an unexpected comeback in the format.Related

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In his first ODI in almost seven years, Charles scored a 19-ball 24 and followed it up with a match-winning 47-ball 63 in the second ODI, indicating that he is by no means finished, and shouldn’t be forgotten.Charles’ main strength is still intact: clear the front leg and swat the ball to the leg side. But he has also expanded his game by hitting with similar power down the ground and through the off side. The new-found range was on display on a hot and humid evening in Sharjah on June 6.”I just had to work on the basics,” Charles said after the second ODI. “It’s not much, but just trying to keep my balance and not trying to over-hit the ball and having a strong base. And hit the ball where it has to be hit and that’s what I’ve been working on.”

The Daren Sammy impact

Charles 2.0 appeared at CPL 2022, where he tallied 345 runs in nine innings at an average of 43.12 and strike rate of 133.20 for St Lucia Kings. His coach was Daren Sammy. Charles and Sammy go back a long way. Sammy was Charles’ first T20I captain and they went on to win two T20 World Cup titles together. Charles has a stand named after him at St Lucia’s Beausejour Stadium, which has been renamed in Sammy’s honour.Charles hailed Sammy’s leadership skills after West Indies wrapped up a 2-0 series victory against UAE with one game to go. “Not just mine. It [Sammy’s leadership] has a positive impact on everybody’s performance because he’s an inspirational leader,” Charles said. “So that positiveness will run down on the other guys, and it will definitely push us to bring out our best.”Positiveness is definitely up there as No. 1, and inspirational. These are the two main things about his coaching that I could highlight right now.”UAE are currently ranked 19th in ODI cricket and their team is in flux, with Robin Singh recently ending his role as director of cricket following a prolonged lean patch, and Mudassar Nazar taking temporary charge of the team. Charles, though, insisted that West Indies haven’t taken UAE lightly, and are pleased with their own progress in the lead-up to the 2023 ODI World Cup qualifier, which is set to start in Zimbabwe on June 18.Darren Sammy and Johnson Charles go back a long way•Sportsfile via Getty Images”People could say what they want, and people make their judgements,” Charles said. “It’s fair enough but we know we never take any opposition for granted. So, saying that, it’s very nice we came up with a series win. Two out of two so far, and you know I find that the team is gelling very well as a unit. We’re definitely playing to our strengths and working on that and playing to how we want to play in the World Cup qualifiers and going forward. So, I think that we’ve played well, and we’ve definitely not taken them for granted. So, that’s a good thing.”Since CPL 2022, Charles has had a good run in franchise T20 leagues. Notably in the BPL 2023 final in February, where he cracked an unbeaten 79 off 52 balls from No. 4 to give Comilla Victorians their fourth title. He even earned a call-up to Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad for IPL 2023, but didn’t get a game.”Going back to the basics and trying to get them right all the time; if not, then most of the time,” Charles said of the change. “That has been working for me [in T20 cricket] along with the positive mindset. Yes, I just lapsed a little bit [in the second ODI in Sharjah] and that cost my wicket and you know it [hundred] is going to come.”Charles was on Thursday added to West Indies’ ODI squad for the World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe*, replacing injured spinner Gudakesh Motie. And although Kyle Mayers, fresh off an IPL stint with Lucknow Super Giants, is set to partner Brandon King at the top, further contributions in the oppressive Sharjah heat could put him contention for a starting spot.Not many gave Charles a chance to return to the West Indies side, but he is now the only man from the XI that beat England in the T20 World Cup final in 2016 to be involved as a player with this current team.*1955 GMT – This story was updated with news of Charles’ call-up

His success in the middle order has opened up possibilities for KKR in how to deploy Narine, the batsman

Karthik Krishnaswamy24-Oct-2020Leave, leave, leave.The middle one was a wide, sure, but how many T20 innings begin with three back-to-back leaves?Sunil Narine would have left every other ball of that Kagiso Rabada over too, if he could have. All he wanted was to survive it, mark his guard at the other end, and hopefully face some spin.Narine played his first match of IPL 2020 on September 23. It was now October 24. Over an entire month, before this game, he had faced just five balls of spin. He had only faced 40 balls in all, yes, but it was still an unusually low percentage of spin.There were three reasons for this. One, this IPL was in the UAE, and the pitches, especially in the early part of the tournament, had encouraged teams to bowl mostly pace though the powerplay.Two, teams were able to bowl pace and pretty much nothing else to Narine because Chris Lynn was no longer partnering him at the top of the order. Though everyone’s known for a while that Narine’s ability to demolish spin bowling is counterbalanced by a vulnerability against quality fast bowling, especially when it’s short and at the body, oppositions until last season also had to factor in the pace-loving, spin-detesting Lynn at the other end.Three, and most obviously, Narine hadn’t been surviving long enough to get any taste of spin.This was probably why the Kolkata Knight Riders had moved Narine into the middle order, after four games. It’s harder for teams to use their first-choice match-ups against middle-order batsmen, because you can’t predict when they’ll arrive at the crease, and in what sort of situation.On Saturday, Narine walked into a situation – 42 for 3 in 7.2 overs – that would traditionally ask the new pair to bat with caution initially, especially in the case of a team like the Knight Riders, who, with Pat Cummins at No. 7, do not bat particularly deep. Narine, whose career as a T20 pinch-hitter is largely built on his willingness to be dismissed in search of quick runs, seemed the unlikeliest of candidates for such a role.Perhaps this was why Narine got to face spin as soon as he made it through that Rabada over. The Capitals had used their seamers for seven of the first eight overs, and only had two overs each left from their two main quicks, Rabada and Anrich Nortje. They hadn’t yet bowled R Ashwin, possibly because they wanted to keep him away from Nitish Rana, who had scored 55 off 22 balls in all T20 meetings against him before this game, without being dismissed.Rana was still at the crease, however, and the Capitals couldn’t have gone on delaying Ashwin’s introduction. They may well have felt this was the ideal time for it, even if the new man, Narine, also boasted an excellent head-to-head against Ashwin: 28 off 10 balls, without being dismissed.Given the situation, there was a chance Rana and Narine would choose to play Ashwin a little more watchfully than usual, which would have suited the Capitals nicely. They may have even felt it was worth Rana or Narine taking Ashwin on and risking their wickets, particularly with Abu Dhabi’s long boundaries in mind.

Ashwin’s second ball to Narine, he cleared his front leg, freed his arms, and cleared long-off with a hit measuring 85m. There would be no hesitation, no second-guessing. Narine would simply bat the Narine way.

With Narine in particular, the challenge was to do with both the outfield size and the lack of powerplay field restrictions. In 62 IPL innings before this one, he had only batted four times in the middle order – twice at No. 4, once at No. 5, and once at No. 7 – and it wasn’t clear whether he would be able to overcome both challenges consistently. In his previous middle-order innings this season, against the Chennai Super Kings, he had been caught on the long-on boundary, on this same ground, while trying to hit Karn Sharma for six.Ashwin’s second ball to Narine was just the sort of ball to test someone’s six-hitting ability. Not just the physical ability, but also the mental clarity to disregard the cocktail of match situation, ground size and lack of field restrictions, and swing as cleanly and decisively as possible. It had just a hint of flight to it, and it landed full but well short of half-volley length.Narine cleared his front leg, freed his arms, and cleared long-off with a hit measuring 85m. There would be no hesitation, no second-guessing. Narine would simply bat the Narine way.The contest against Ashwin would take centre-stage, which you’d expect, given he scored 32 – exactly half of his 64 runs – off 11 balls against him, and given that the relentlessness of his hitting forced the offspinner into going over the wicket – an exceedingly rare occurrence for him against left-hand batsmen – and bowling legspin to him. But Narine did enough against the other bowlers to remind viewers that when he’s on song, he’s far from a one-trick pony.There were times during his innings when Narine seemed to have stepped back in time to 2017 or 2018, when teams hadn’t yet fully figured out how to bowl to him. Just look at the numbers to remind yourself of that time. Across the 2017 and 2018 seasons, he averaged 22.35 against pace and struck at 169.64. Between the start of 2019 and this match, his numbers against pace had dipped significantly: his average to 13.12, his strike rate to 122.09.Now it felt like Narine had turned the clock back. Tushar Deshpande gave him width, an ingredient that’s very rarely been part of his recent diet in the IPL, and he stood almost still, save for that open front leg, and carved him over backward point. Marcus Stoinis went short to him, as fast bowlers must, but he’s not particularly quick, and Narine pulled him onto the grass banks beyond the square-leg boundary.By the end of his innings, Narine had scored 29 off 15 balls against Deshpande and Stoinis, and 3 off 6 balls – a small sample size, but consistent with the larger trend of his career – against Rabada and Anrich Nortje. A well-directed short ball from Rabada dismissed him, which you might have predicted before the game, but you probably wouldn’t have correctly predicted how much he’d score.So what did we learn from Narine’s innings? We already knew he can take spinners apart, even those as good as Ashwin, and that he can put the quicker bowlers away when they aren’t hammering away at his weaknesses. We already knew he’s less certain against the very best fast bowlers.But the Knight Riders have now learned his skills aren’t unsuited to the middle order, and that new knowledge opens up new possibilities for how and when to deploy him. Everyone watching him, meanwhile, has learned, not for the first time, to never, ever write him off.

علق أحمد حسن، مدير منتخب مصر الثاني، على الخروج من كأس العرب 2025، من دور المجموعات بعد خوض 3 مباريات.

وفشل منتخب مصر في التأهل من دور المجموعات، بعدما حقق تعادلين وخسارة ليحتل المركز الثالث في المجموعة ويودع مبكرًا.

وقال أحمد حسن في تصريحات لبرنامج “الكابتن” على قناة “دي إم سي”: “دائمًا نتحمل المسؤولية ولا نهرب من المواقف الصعبة، لأن مثل ما تعودتوا علينا،، كنا رجالًا ومخلصين في الملعب وحققنا نجاحات كثيرة لمنتخبنا ولكل الأندية اللي لعبت لها”.

طالع.. أفشة يوجه رسالة للجماهير بعد إخفاق منتخب مصر في كأس العرب

وتابع: “يجب على الناس أن تفهم ما في الكواليس، لا توجد مشكلة في الانتقاد لأن في وقت من الأوقات عندما ننتقد يكون للصالح العام وليس للأغراض الشخصية”.

وأضاف: “من حق الناس أن تحزن، وأنا أيضًا حزين وأقدم آلاف الاعتذارات فقط بسبب حزن الناس، حقهم ونتقبل ذلك، لكن هناك بعض الناس المغرضين الذين يتعمدون الإساءة لنا وليس للصالح العام”.

وكشف: “أوجه الشكر للجهاز الفني والإداري والطبي الذي عمل في وقت صعب جدًا، حيث تم تكوين المنتخب قبل البطولة بثلاثة أشهر، وننافس كل المنتخبات الأولى حتى منتخبات شمال إفريقيا لديهم صف ثاني وثالث، إنما انت قبل البطولة تقول لي نريد منتخب يكون متواجدًا في البطولة، المسألة كانت صعبة، أشكر الناس لأنها تستحق الشكر، حيث اجتهدت وأخلصت وحاولت”.

وأردف: “حلمي طولان لم يحاول التنصل من المسؤولية، ومن المهم أن نفهم كيف تم تشكيل الجهاز الفني للمنتخب الثاني، فبعض المغرضين ادعوا أن هاني أبو ريدة هو من أتى بهذا الجهاز نكاية في حسام حسن، وهذا غير صحيح تمامًا”.

وأوضح: “كانت هناك لجنة فنية اجتمعت وناقشت الأمر، وأشارت إلى أن أمامنا بطولة كأس العرب، وأنه من المفترض أن يشارك فيها المنتخب الأول، ولكن لانشغاله بكأس أمم إفريقيا، تم اقتراح تشكيل منتخب ثان للمشاركة في البطولة العربية”.

وواصل: “وخلال اجتماعات اللجنة الفنية التي تضم أسماء كبيرة، فوجئت بتصريح محسن صالح الذي قال إن اللجنة لم تختر حلمي طولان، طرحنا عدة أسماء، لكن لم يكن هناك مدرب واحد مستعد لقبول مهمة لمدة ثلاثة أشهر فقط وسط مخاطرة كبيرة، عندها اقترح علاء نبيل اسم حلمي طولان، والذي كان في البداية رافضًا 7 للمهمة”.

وأكمل: “وما كنت أتمناه في ذلك الوقت هو أن يقود المنتخب الثاني أحد مساعدي حسام حسن في كأس العرب، تحت قيادة العميد، لضمان وجود تنسيق كامل بين الجميع، لكن ذلك لم يحدث”.

وواصل: “كان هناك غياب واضح في التنسيق، ولم يظهر المنتخب بالمستوى المطلوب، نحن نحترم حلمي طولان ونشكره على قبوله المهمة، خاصة أنه انضم بعد المعسكر الثاني، وكان على وشك الاعتذار عندما علم بعدم تأجيل المباريات، وكان لم يتبق سوى شهر على انطلاق بطولة كأس العرب”.

وأشار: “هاني أبو ريدة كلف طولان بالمهمة مع التأكيد على ضرورة التعاون، وكانت الأولوية دائما للمنتخب الأول، ولم تكن لدينا مشكلة في ذلك، بدأنا في جمع اللاعبين، واعتمدنا على سبعة أو ثمانية لاعبين من بيراميدز شاركوا في المعسكرين الأول والثاني، لكن عدم تأجيل مباراتين للفريق جعل هؤلاء اللاعبين غير متاحين فجأة، وهو ما أثر على القوام الأساسي للمنتخب الثاني”.

وواصل تصريحاته كاشفا: “الأسماء التي كنا نعتمد عليها من بيراميدز، هم، أحمد الشناوي، محمود جاد، أحمد سامي، محمود مرعي، كريم حافظ، قطة، زلاكا، ومروان حمدي، وغيابهم أربك الحسابات تمامًا، كنا ننتظر اللاعبين الذين لن يتم اختيارهم للمنتخب الأول، مثل طاهر محمد طاهر وأحمد نبيل كوكا، لكنهما كانا ضمن قائمة المنتخب الأول بالفعل”.

وأشار: “للأسف، لم يكن هناك تعاون كاف من رابطة الأندية، وكان يجب أن نذهب إلى كأس العرب بشكل أكثر جاهزية، ومع ذلك، أعتز بوجودي ضمن الجهاز الفني، ولكن هذه كانت الإمكانات المتاحة، ومن المؤسف أن يقلل البعض من حجم الظروف التي واجهناها”.

وأكد: “لو عاد بنا الزمن أنا وحلمي طولان، لربما أعدنا التفكير في قبول هذه المهمة، لكنها في النهاية خدمة للوطن وتكليف لا نرفضه، لم نحظ بالدعم الكافي الذي يساعدنا على تقديم صورة مشرفة لمصر، فلكي تنافس يجب أن تشارك بقوتك الكاملة، كما فعلت بقية المنتخبات في البطولة، فمنتخبا تونس وقطر خرجا دون أن يتعرض مدربوهما للهجوم أو الإهانة”. *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(–header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]” dir=”auto” tabindex=”-1″ data-turn-id=”request-WEB:e4868108-782e-45c7-b002-ff3d79ed0c57-5″ data-testid=”conversation-turn-12″ data-scroll-anchor=”true” data-turn=”assistant”>

واختتم: “إذا أردنا التطور، فيجب إنشاء منتخب محليين يشارك في البطولات الإفريقية مثل المغرب والجزائر وتونس، ويكون رافدا أساسيا للمنتخب الأول، على أن يشرف المدير الفني للمنتخب الأول عليه مع مدرب مساعد مقيم، هذه حلول يمكن أن نستفيد منها مستقبلا”.