Since the PIF completed their takeover of Newcastle United in October 2021, the Magpies have gone from being embroiled in a relegation dogfight to sniffing out European football and silverware after clinching a place in the Champions League last term.

Although defeats against Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion have threatened to curtail their progress at the start of this season, they returned to business as usual with a 1-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday evening, as a Callum Wilson penalty secured their second three points of the season.

With Eddie Howe spearheading a Saudi revolution in the North East, enabled by the riches presented to him, Newcastle have spent their war chest of funds wisely since their takeover, going about their business in smart fashion, unlike Chelsea.

Their transfer dealings have been brilliantly astute and accurate, bringing in the likes of Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak, Nick Pope and Sven Botman, the quality of signing that has enabled them to cement their place at the forefront of domestic and European football.

While the majority of their signings have reached hero status on Tyneside, others have become villains, and one of those was striker Chris Wood.

How much did Newcastle sign Chris Wood for?

In January 2022, Newcastle completed the signing of Burnley striker Wood for £25m, triggering the release clause in his contract following the news that sharpshooter Callum Wilson was ruled out for eight weeks with a calf injury.

With his side involved in a fight against relegation, Howe heavily relied on Wilson's goals and the Englishman served up six in 15 appearances prior to his injury as the Magpies only recorded one victory in their first 20 matches.

In the absence of their star striker, Newcastle were staring down the barrel at what would be a detrimental relegation, but it wasn't the signing of the New Zealand target man that would save their season, the big-money acquisitions of Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Trippier and Joe Willock would achieve just that, with the influential quartet becoming the driving force behind their impressive turnaround.

Howe would go on to lead his side to a remarkable 12 wins in their last 19 Premier League matches, steering them to an 11th-place finish and although Wood was signed to help them in their meteoric rise up the table, he failed to have the desired impact.

How did Wood get on at Newcastle?

Compared to Shola Ameobi by journalist Luke McCormick after signing, the 31-year-old was expected to become their focal point, playing to the strengths of Howe's direct football with his height and physicality.

During his 14-year spell at the club, Ameobi made almost 400 appearances on Tyneside, chalking up 84 goals and 38 assists, and although that was far from clinical returns for a striker, the Nigerian was often cut as a divisive figure despite his longevity and the commitment he gave to the club.

Wood was a divisive figure himself, not just with the Toon, but particularly while at Leeds United between 2015 and 2017. Indeed, he became the subject to criticism from their passionate supporters, similar to what Ameobi faced at Newcastle.

Speaking to Goals on Sunday [via Leeds Live] in 2020, the New Zealand international lifted the lid on his time at Elland Road, saying:

“At Leeds, I had a bit of a rough patch, it wasn't always smooth sailing, but in the end, it came good and it was a good time [in my career],”

Wood managed to use criticism as fuel during his time in West Yorkshire, putting a disappointed 2015/16 campaign behind him by scoring 27 goals in the following season under Garry Monk.

An impressive rate of scoring at at Elland Road – 44 in 88 appearances – earned him a £15m move to Premier League Burnley in 2017, where he formed a strong partnership with Ashley Barnes as the duo were crucial to the Clarets top flight bid

After joining in 2018/19, the "exceptional" striker, as dubbed by journalist Jordan Cronin, reached double figures for goals in three consecutive campaigns and despite only scoring three times in the first half of the 2021/22 season, Howe hoped a move to Newcastle would help recapture his goal-scoring touch.

Although he didn't aid the Toon's survival bid with his goals, scoring just twice in 17 appearances, Wood did draw plaudits from Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville for his contributions off the ball.

Speaking on his self-titled Gary Neville podcast, the former defender said: "He had a big impact on that game today, the little flick-ons that he wins in the last 10 minutes that just keep the ball alive in that corner, means that it’s not coming back at you all the time.

"He had a big impact on that game today, the little flick-ons that he wins in the last 10 minutes that just keep the ball alive in that corner, means that it’s not coming back at you all the time.​​​​​​"

Last season, with Newcastle fighting for top four, Wood didn't really get a look in as Isak and Wilson shouldered the goal-scoring responsibility, but in pursuit of regular football, he decided to join Nottingham Forest on loan in January before making the move permanent this summer for a fee of £15m.

After being bought for £25m in 2022 and now already being sold, it's fair to say that Newcastle had a nightmare with this transfer, even if he did initially evoke memories of Ameobi.

Nottingham Forest have been handed a significant injury boost that could impact them massively when the Premier League resumes following the international break.

Reds boss Steve Cooper has been focused on making sure his side kicks on following their survival last season. He has said that he is "interested in being positive," as his side looks to avoid the dreaded 'second season syndrome.'

Having picked up six points from a possible twelve, Forest sit in the top half of the table and have the right to be optimistic about what the season could bring. Positive news on the injury front gives all the more reason for fans to be hopeful after the international break

Who is set to return from injury?

On Tuesday night, Brazilian defender Felipe made his long-awaited return to action for Nottingham Forest's U21s.
He was one of two notable figures that featured on the night for Forest's youth team, with new signing Callum Hudson-Odoi also starting on the right-hand side.

The pair both played an hour for Warren Joyce's men, who slumped to a 2-1 defeat against League Two side Harrogate Town.
However, it acted as important minutes for both players who look to sharpen up their fitness as they edge closer to a return.
Felipe was out of action for the majority of pre-season with a knee injury. He has been continuing his recovery during this time and missed the first four Premier League games of the season, as well as Forest's Carabao Cup defeat to Burnley.
In August, Felipe spoke to NottinghamshireLive, revealing exactly what his injury was and how he was feeling. He told them:
"It’s really good, much better than before. The recovery is going really well. I am just in the final phases of recovery for being back playing.
"It was a variety of different things, different niggles. A fibrosis in the kneecap was diagnosed, and that was holding me back. But that is all recovered and resolved now."
With this latest update, it seems the veteran defender is in the very latter stages of his recovery. He could even make a return during Forest's next fixture at home to Burnley on September 18th.

What impact did Felipe have last season?

Felipe, who is believed to be one of the top earners raking in around £80k-per-week at Nottingham Forest, joined the east Midlands outfit from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid last January.

The Brazilian "warrior" – as once lauded by journalist Callum Castel earlier this year – featured 16 times in the Premier League for The Garibaldis and was an important part of the team whenever he featured. So much so that Sofascore gave him the joint-highest rating of all Forest players in the Premier League last season.

He averaged 2.3 interceptions per game, 2.6 tackles and 5.6 clearances as he became a formidable part of Forest's defence. No other player, let alone centre-back, could match his output for interceptions and clearances, which highlights just how much of a key figure he has been for Cooper.

Upon joining Forest, Felipe made it clear exactly what fans could expect from him.

"A lot of strength, going into challenges strongly, these are my characteristics and it is what people love in football around the world."

It is fair to say Felipe has delivered on his promises and fans will be happy to see him back in the starting line-up after the international break.

Manchester City made a late, big-money approach for Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, but they were unable to get the deal over the line, a report has revealed.

Who did Man City sign in the summer?

Man City had a moderately busy summer transfer window, with Pep Guardiola being forced to freshen up his squad after a number of first-team players moved on, including captain Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte.

Josko Gvardiol's arrival paved the way for Laporte's departure, with the Spaniard joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, while Gundogan was replaced by Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic, with the central midfielder joining in a deal worth an initial £25m.

Guardiola also had to bring in reinforcements in wide areas, owing to Mahrez and Cole Palmer leaving the club, with Jeremy Doku being brought in as a replacement for the former, however the manager was unable to conclude a deal for another winger.

Palmer completed a move to Chelsea for £40m on deadline day, with the deal taking the Blues' spending over the £1bn mark since Todd Boehly took over as owner, and there was not enough time for City to find a suitable replacement for the 21-year-old.

However, the Sky Blues did make an attempt to bring in a new player on deadline day, with The Mirror revealing they made an 11th hour £60m bid for Eze, with talks reaching an advanced stage, but they were unable to get a deal over the line.

The Premier League champions were left frustrated after failing to push through the deal, with Palace refusing to budge from their £80m asking price, £20m more than City were willing to offer.

The player himself may have also been left frustrated by the move not going through, as he would have loved the opportunity of linking up with Guardiola. After remaining at Selhurst Park, the winger may now be offered a new contract, with Michael Olise also electing to commit his future to the Eagles after a bid for him was turned down earlier in the transfer window.

How good is Eberechi Eze?

Although City were unable to get a deal done on deadline day, they should definitely keep the England international on their shortlist of future targets, as he has put in some top-quality performances for Palace over the past few seasons.

Last season was by far the Palace star's best campaign since arriving at Selhurst Park, weighing in with ten goals and four assists in the Premier League, bouncing back well after suffering a serious Achilles injury back in May 2021.

Crystal Palace reporter Matt Woosnam was full of praise for the attacking midfielder after he put in an impressive display against Leicester City last season, saying on X:

"Thought Eberechi Eze was brilliant today. Exploited the space offered to him by Leicester's defence / midfield going missing.

"Played with verve and confidence. His best performance in ages. Way he moves his body to deceive players v good again today."

Having proven himself at Palace, Eze could be ready to make the step-up to City in the near future, so it could be wise for Guardiola and co to keep him on his shortlist ahead of the January transfer window.

تمكن فريق الزمالك من تحقيق فوز صعب على حساب سيراميكا كليوباترا بهدفين مقابل هدف في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

وأقيمت مباراة الزمالك اليوم أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا على أرضية استاد المقاولون العرب باللقاء المؤجل من الجولة 11 للمسابقة المحلية.

وجاء هدف سيراميكا كليوباترا الأول أمام الزمالك عن طريق أحمد رمضان بيكهام، بعد كرة عرضية من ركنية لداخل منطقة الجزاء استقبلها بيكهام برأسية سكنت الشباك.

بينما سجل عبد الله السعيد هدف التعادل للزمالك بعد تسديدة قوية من خارج منطقة الجزاء سكنت الشباك في الدقيقة 81.

وجاء الهدف الثاني للزمالك من كرة رأسية مميزة سجلها إبراهيما نداي بالدقيقة 88 بعد عرضية مميزة من عبد الله السعيد. أهداف مباراة الزمالك وسيراميكا كليوباترا اليوم في الدوري المصري

طالع | ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد فوز الأهلي والزمالك على فاركو وسيراميكا كليوباترا

وبهذه النتيجة وصل رصيد الزمالك إلى 31 نقطة ويتواجد في المركز الحادي عشر بجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، بينما تجمد رصيد سيراميكا كليوباترا عند 34 نقطة بالمركز التاسع.

Can Dinesh Karthik lead Knight Riders to a win and spoil the party for what is otherwise his home crowd?

The Preview by Varun Shetty09-Apr-20184:39

Dasgupta: CSK wouldn’t want to open with Rayudu again

Big pictureIf Chennai Super Kings are capable of doing anything without a flourish, we won’t be seeing evidence of it on Tuesday. Having put up a red-carpet premiere in Mumbai on their return, MS Dhoni’s ensemble are ready for the full public release in Chennai. A full house awaits in the ground where they have a 70% win rate. Into this scene will walk Kolkata Knight Riders, who answered questions about their bench strength with a full display of the power of their starting XI against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday.There’s little doubt that this game’s rhythm will be dictated by spin. Super Kings have spinners in abundance this year and the pitch will be in their favour. However, Knight Riders have historically been a team that relies on spin as well. Can their middle order of Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana and Dinesh Karthik counter the home team’s bowling-centric strategy to win the middle overs? They won’t have too many batting issues at the start and end of the innings.This will be both teams’ second game of the season and while it’s too early to worry about the table, it’s an early chance to go to first place and set up the momentum for a winning streak for the two teams that copped most criticism after the auction.In the newsSuper Kings have lost Kedar Jadhav to a hamstring tear, and are waiting on Faf du Plessis, who has picked up a side strain alongside his finger troubles. Having both of them fortifying the batting with a promoted Dhoni would have been central to their strategy, with the belligerent confidence of Dwayne Bravo to follow. They’ll now be forced to rethink that plan. The good news is, M Vijay, who missed the last game because of a knock to the ribs in training, is set to return.The likely XIsChennai Super Kings: 1 M Vijay, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Mark Wood/Lungi Ngidi, 11 Imran TahirKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Vinay Kumar/Shivam Mavi/Kamlesh NagarkotiESPNcricinfo LtdStrategy punt Since IPL 2015, Narine has only been dismissed twice against spin and scores at a staggering strike rate of 247.2 against them. Super Kings’ opening bowlers in the last match – seamers Deepak Chahar and Shane Watson – will be a better bet than the spinners against him in the Powerplay, but they will set themselves up for an early wicket if they hand the new ball to whichever overseas fast bowler they choose – Mark Wood and Lungi Ngidi are two options.Stats that matter Knight Riders have only beaten Super Kings twice in Chennai in seven attempts Dhoni continues to show signs of a weakness against right-arm spinners. Since 2015, his strike rate against offspin is 71.7 and against legspin it is 103. Only Suresh Raina (seven) has more IPL fifties than Dhoni (six) at this ground and no one has more 30-plus scores (18) than him Andre Russell has been destructive against Dwayne Bravo in T20s – 175 runs off 88 balls and strikes a boundary against him every 3.52 balls But Bravo fares much better against Karthik, whom he has dismissed thrice in seven innings and has only conceded 25 runs off 21 balls Super Kings openers Shane Watson (117.81) and M Vijay (110.36) have significantly lower Smart Strike Rates than Knight Riders’ openers Narine (191.97) and Lynn (215.79).Fantasy picks Imran Tahir didn’t have a great time against Mumbai Indians, but he is likely to get another shot and is a good pick, especially on the dry pitch in Chennai. Tahir has the best career bowling strike rate in the IPL among all his team-mates – 15.2 – and has taken more than two wickets 17 times in 54 matches in all T20s since the start of 2017. He is also the leader on that front among his Super Kings team-mates.Quotes”We feel like we’ve got the necessary backup or depth to be able to cover it. It’s certainly going to be a focus going forward. The players at the top of the order, Nos. 1-4, need to take the responsibility to try and score the bulk of the runs.”

Manchester United are now interested in signing an exciting youngster whose playing style has been compared to Chelsea's Moises Caicedo, according to a report.

Who could Man United sign in January?

Man United used the recent international break to scout defensive prospects, having watched Benfica's Antonio Silva and Atalanta's Giorgio Scalvini, amid former captain Harry Maguire's uncertain future at Old Trafford.

In the summer transfer window, the Red Devils managed to strengthen their midfield considerably, bringing in Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat, but Erik ten Hag is seemingly still keen on additional options, with Royal Antwerp's Arthur Vermeeren now of interest.

There have now been reports that Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella was strongly considered by United in the summer, but no official offer was submitted, with the financial constraints at Old Trafford hindering their chances of signing the Italian.

As such, Man United may have to turn their attention towards a more unproven option to bolster their midfield, with Tutto Juve reporting they are now seriously interested in signing Oscar Zambrano, who currently plays for Ecuadorian side LDU Quito.

However, United may have to fight it out with some of Europe's top clubs, as the Italian outlet reports that Barcelona and Juventus are also interested in the "great prospect for the future" ahead of the January transfer window.

Tutto Juve state that Juventus would initially give the 19-year-old experience in the U23 team, should they win the race for his signature, indicating he would not be at the level to immediately challenge for a starting place at Old Trafford.

However, the starlet could still be an exciting signing for the future, given that he is clearly thought of in very high regard by a number of sides across Europe, with Ajax and Luton Town making approaches for him back in the summer transfer window.

Who is Oscar Zambrano?

The Santo Domingo-born midfielder made his breakthrough with LDU Quito in 2022, and he has since gone on to establish himself in the first team, making a total of 36 appearances for the Ecuadorian club.

There are indications the youngster could also be about to announce himself on the international scene with Ecuador, having made 14 appearances for the U20 side since his debut in June 2022.

The Ecuador U21 international has scored just one professional goal, as he has mainly been utilised as a defensive midfielder, making 27 appearances in that area of the pitch, due to his defensive qualities.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has provided an overview of the Quito star's abilities on X, describing him as a "modern holding midfielder", while also praising him for his tackling, pace and passing, among a number of other key strengths.

Perhaps in light of the central midfielder's tackling ability, he has been likened to compatriot Moises Caicedo, who signed for Chelsea for a British record £115m fee in the summer.

It would be very difficult for Zambrano to replicate Caicedo's rise to the top, but he is clearly a very talented youngster, and Man United should continue to monitor him ahead of January.

Celtic have seen a number of talented players pass through their academy system over the years and have several graduates in their current first-team set-up.

Callum McGregor is the club captain, having come through the youth sides at Parkhead, and is a regular starter in central midfield for Brendan Rodgers, whilst Anthony Ralston and Stephen Walsh have also emerged as squad options for the Scottish giants in recent years.

Celtic's most valuable former academy players:

Player

Market value (via Transfermarkt)

Aaron Hickey

£21.5m

Kieran Tierney

£21.5m

Callum McGregor

£7.3m

Jack Hendry

£2.5m

Ben Doak

£2.5m

Their success with youth players is not a new thing for the Hoops, however, as they have been able to bring through talented prospects for many, many, years.

One young prodigy who the club ended up striking gold with was winger Aiden McGeady as he enjoyed a terrific time with the Bhoys after making the breakthrough at senior level.

Who gave McGeady his Celtic debut?

Former Celtic head coach Martin O'Neill handed the teenage forward his first-team bow towards the end of the 2003/04 campaign and placed his faith in the talented youngster.

The Northern Irish boss had clearly seen enough from the skillful whiz in training and in academy matches to suggest that he would be able to make the step up to playing professional football and was proven to be right.

McGeady scored one goal in four Scottish Premiership appearances at the end of that season as he burst onto the scene and showcased his potential to be a star for the club.

How many appearances did McGeady make for Celtic?

The Ireland international went on to play 223 matches for the Hoops in all competitions after the exciting wizard managed to establish himself as a first-team regular.

He scored nine goals and assisted eight across 49 Premiership games across the 2005/06 and 2006/07 campaigns, to go along with zero goal contributions in six Champions League clashes.

These statistics show that the Irish winger was a semi-regular contributor at the top end of the pitch throughout his first two full seasons as a senior option for the Scottish giants.

McGeady then caught the eye with a stunning return of seven goals and 17 assists in 36 Premiership outings during the 2007/08 term, which means that he was directly involved in a goal every 1.5 matches on average.

The assist machine also scored his first Champions League goal and registered two assists in eight appearances in Europe's premier cup competition that season.

His form, unfortunately, dipped during the following campaign as McGeady only contributed with three goals and six assists in 29 Premiership games, which may have been a concern at the time as there was no guarantee that he would be able to get back to his previous levels.

However, the academy graduate followed that up with an outstanding seven goals and 14 assists in 35 league matches throughout the 2009/10 season, which is an average of one goal involvement every 1.67 outings.

In total, McGeady produced 35 goals and 48 assists in all competitions for Celtic after coming through the academy system under O'Neill.

He showcased his ability to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis as a match-winner and game-changer for the Scottish giants and the former Hoops boss deserves great credit for unearthing him.

Placing faith in an academy player to come into the senior team takes courage from a manager and in different circumstances McGeady may have ended up moving on after not being given an opportunity by a different head coach, which is why O'Neill deserves plaudits for his work with the Irish ace.

How much did Celtic sell McGeady for?

The Bhoys eventually opted to cash in on the talented maestro in the summer of 2010 for a club-record £9.5m fee to Russian outfit Spartak Moscow.

In fact, that transfer made him the most expensive sale in the history of Scottish football at the time, which is a record currently held by former Celtic stars Kieran Tierney and Jota – who both departed for reported fees of £25m to Arsenal and Al Ittihad respectively.

This shows that O'Neill hit the jackpot for Celtic with McGeady as he played a critical role in turning a player who cost the club £0, as he came through their academy system, into the most expensive player in the club's history in 2010.

Neil Lennon, who was the manager of the Hoops at the time of the sale, hailed McGeady as one of the game's "entertainers" and he was one of the greats in that respect, which is backed up by the fact that the talented magician has his own skill move 'the McGeady spin' named after him.

Where is McGeady now?

The 37-year-old winger currently plays for Ayr United in the second tier of Scottish football after enjoying a strong career in Russia and England before his return to Scotland.

McGeady racked up 13 goals and 28 assists in 93 games for Spartak and earned himself a transfer to Premier League side Everton in 2013.

His time with the Toffees did not go to plan, as he scored once in 43 matches, but the creative maestro ended up with Sunderland, where he was able to thrive.

The experienced forward produced 36 goals and 35 assists in 150 appearances for the Black Cats during his spell at the Stadium of Light before his move back to Scottish football with Hibernian in the summer of 2022.

McGeady, who also scored five goals in 92 games for Ireland at senior level, was never able to replicate his outstanding 17-assist league season for Celtic but did manage 14 assists for Sunderland during the 2020/21 League One campaign.

Overall, there is little doubt that the Hoops played a blinder with the Irish hotshot as they raked in a club-record fee and benefitted from his terrific performances on the pitch for a number of years after unearthing him from the academy set-up for £0.

Rodgers will now be hoping that the next McGeady is currently in the youth team and on the verge of being ready to make their first-team breakthrough over the years to come.

Liverpool could look to delve into the transfer market for more attackers soon, and they are battling Real Madrid for one superstar, according to a new report.

Will Liverpool sign more attackers?

The Reds spent their summer rebuilding their midfield, bringing in the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch, as well as disposing of dead wood in the middle of the park. While some supporters were also keen to see a new centre-back added to the squad, in order to enhance the depth at Jurgen Klopp's disposal, it was clear that there was enough quality and options in attacking areas.

In Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo, Liverpool arguably have their most impressive group of attackers in recently memory, giving Klopp a plethora of top-quality options and allowing him to rotate effectively during a busy season.

There are doubts over Salah's long-term future at Anfield, however, following strong interest from Saudi Arabia during the summer transfer window, and there is the chance that he decides to move on to pastures new at the end of this season.

Should that happen, Liverpool will clearly need to sign a high-calibre replacement almost immediately, and it is important that they continue to look at long-term options, regardless of the Egyptian's future.

Will Liverpool sign Rafael Leao?

According to a report from Spain [via Sempre Milan], the Reds are locking horns with Real Madrid for the signing of AC Milan rising superstar Rafael Leao, who has arguably become their most important player currently, especially after Sandro Tonali left to join Newcastle United in the summer.

The report states that Liverpool and Madrid are "leading the competition" for the Portuguese's services, and a new challenge away from his current club "does not seem to be something Leao would reject". Milan are clearly extremely hesitant to sell possibly their most prized asset, however, and have slapped a €150m (£130.4m) price tag on his shoulders, outlining just how highly he is thought of.

Leao look like a special player currently, arguably looking like one of Europe's most devastating wide players, combining pace, directness and most importantly of all reliable end product. He has scored 45 goals and registered 38 assists in 168 appearances for the Serie A giants, not to mention netting three times for Portugal at international level.

The 24-year-old is admittedly predominantly a left-sided player, and a right-sided option would be needed if Salah did leave, but there is no reason why he couldn't thrive there, or why Diaz or Jota couldn't potentially switch flanks.

Leao has been described as a "top player" by Graham Potter in the past, as well as his quality being hailed as "beautiful" by Ian Wright, and he has the ability to be a long-term superstar at Anfield, with his best years still lying ahead of him and his peak not likely to disappear for another six or seven years.

The amount of money being mooted is clearly a huge amount – he is contracted until the summer of 2028, which puts Milan in a strong bargaining position – but if Liverpool did receive a massive fee for Salah next summer, the funds would be available to pay it.

Since the PCB provisionally suspended the batsman on March 18 last year, for his role in the PSL spot-fixing saga, his ban is less than three weeks from its end

28-Feb-2018

Last year’s PSL spot-fixing scandal has claimed yet another scalp, with Shahzaib Hasan handed a one-year ban after falling foul of thePCB’s anti-corruption code. Shahzaib was found guilty on two counts of breaching Clause 2.4.4, which deals with a failure to disclose corruptapproaches, and one count of Clause 2.4.5, which concerns the failure to report any incident a player is aware of that would amount to a breach of the anti-corruption code.Shahzaib has, crucially, been found not guilty of breaching the far more serious Clause 2.1.4, which involves “directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any participant to breach any of the foregoing provisions ofthis Article 2.1.” That would have likely led to a significantly longer ban.The judgement revealed that Shahzaib, in addition to failing to report a corrupt approach from bookmakers “Sajid” and “Robbie”, had also failed to inform the PCB’s anti-corruption unit about the details of the approach to the national cricketers. It was also judged that he failed to disclose the full details of approaches received by Babar Azam and Sharjeel Khan relating to engaging in corrupt conduct during the fifth ODI against Australia in Adelaide in on January 26 last year.Since Shahzaib was provisionally suspended by the PCB on March 18 last year, his ban is less than three weeks away from its end. He has also been fined Rs 1 million (approximately GBP 6500). However, the PCB’s legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi, speaking to reporters after the verdict, said this did not mean he would be eligible to play cricket as soon as that.”His ban may end on March 17, but remember that according to the anti-corruption code, you have to go through a rehabilitation process. The first step towards beginning rehabilitation is the acceptance of guilt. If he does not accept that he was guilty, then his rehabilitation process cannot begin.”Shahzaib is the sixth player to be sanctioned in the wake of the PSL spot-fixing case. Today’s events meant all six players – Sharjeel Khan (5years), Khalid Latif (5 years), Mohammad Irfan (1 year) , Mohammad Nawaz (2 months), Nasir Jamshed (1 year) were the others – have been banned for certain lengths of time for their role in the saga. Even so, the process is not yet concluded. The PCB has slapped further corruption charges on Nasir Jamshed, which could result in a longer ban, while it is not yet clear whether either party will appeal the tribunal’s verdict on Shahzaib.It has been more than seven years since the opening batsman Shahzaib last played for Pakistan, with his participation in their victorious 2009 World T20 campaign the highlight of his brief international career of three ODIs and 10 T20Is.

England’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere began with the Test match at the Gabba. Mark Stoneman and James Vince gave them an excellent platform with encouraging half-centuries, adding 125 together, before failing to go on. England never had a foothold in the Ashes after that.Fast forward five months and the match situation is somewhat better – they lead by 231 runs and are well placed to push for a series-levelling victory and have something to show for their efforts with the pink and red ball. But for Stoneman and Vince, there is a feeling of deja vu. Half-centuries apiece, a stand of 123, the promise of more, but frustrating dismissals.

New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling is hopeful a Christchurch pitch losing some of its life will keep them in with a chance of saving – or even winning – the second Test and with it taking the series.
The second new ball is 14 overs away and represents New Zealand’s last chance of having a realistic target to chase, but the bounce and carry evident for the quicks over the first half of the day has lessened.
“It’s definitely a lot flatter than over the first few days,” Watling said. “It doesn’t look like it’s breaking up at all, it actually looks like it’s getting a bit deader. I don’t think it will do a hell of a lot on the final day so we just need to get ourselves into a position to hopefully win the game.”

Stoneman had significant fortune in his innings – dropped on 48 and 57 – but couldn’t make it count when he finally paid the price for flashing outside off. Vince played with increasing confidence during his third Test fifty – all of which have come at the No. 3 position – after regaining his place that he had to forego due to the batting reshuffle at Eden Park. As ever, the drives were working well and, almost as inevitably, one brought his downfall when he edged to slip with a spot-sealing maiden Test hundred on offer.”Going forward, I’m sure both would have loved to have got hundreds and gone on for themselves and their confidence,” Graham Thorpe, the England batting coach, said, “but they’ll still get good pat off us in the dressing room because it’s easy to shrink sometimes at this level so it was important they stood up and continued to play in a positive manner.”Stoneman now has five Test fifties – including two in this series – but none higher than this 60 while Vince averages 30.54 at No. 3 from his six Test against Australia and New Zealand. Since Trevor Bayliss took over in 2015, there has been one century from the opener who isn’t Alastair Cook (and his form is heading south) or the No. 3 who isn’t Joe Root – Keaton Jennings’ 112 on debut against India (Adam Lyth’s hundred against New Zealand came while Paul Farbrace was in temporary charge).There are alternative names who will be mentioned in the lead-up to the next series, against Pakistan in May, and a strong start to the domestic season could attract interest despite England Lions being beaten 3-0 by West Indies in the four-day matches. Liam Livingstone has been on this tour – he is not someone for the top three but the batting order is also far from settled – while the likes of Haseeb Hameed, Joe Clarke, Dan Lawrence and Nick Gubbins will be touted. Recently capped players such as Jennings and Tom Westley could also restate their credentials.However, both incumbents have probably done enough to mean they will start against Pakistan, but England will leave this tour without really having a clearer picture about the best way forward for their top order.”They are in the side so they are in charge of their destiny every time they walk to the crease so the more experience they gain they are in a position to go to that next level,” Thorpe said. “Ultimately it’s up to them to take that next step and go towards three figures.”There are areas of the Test side where we aren’t going to say everyone is guaranteed places. We are constantly trying to get more out of players who are in the starting XI. You have to look at your squad and think are there better players out there or do we have to keep working hard. We have to be patient with players, the more you learn you do get over those hurdles in Test cricket and start to feel very settled. We are hoping a few of them are close to that with the Tests they are starting to play.”England arrived in Australia with a batting line-up in a state of flux and will leave New Zealand in the same position. The attacks of Pakistan and India await. They will sense vulnerability.