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Fifties for Ben Charlesworth, Miles Hammond and James Bracey cement strong position against weakened hosts

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025

Graeme van Buuren’s hundred put Gloucestershire in charge•Getty Images

Runaway Division Two leaders Leicestershire edged closer to winning promotion for the first time in their history even though Gloucestershire had the better of things at the Uptonsteel County Ground, finishing day one of their Rothesay County Championship clash on 382 for 7.Needing 20 points from their final three fixtures to be sure of playing Division One cricket next season, they already have two of those. With third-placed Derbyshire able to claim only one batting point at Lord’s, they effectively need 16 more.They have work to do here, though, with Gloucestershire in a strong position, even after losing Graeme van Buuren for 101 from the penultimate ball of the day.The South African-born allrounder 14 fours and a six in a fine, 143-ball innings, supplemented by half-centuries from Ben Charlesworth, James Bracey and Miles Hammond after Gloucestershire’s interim skipper Bracey chose to bat first.Leicestershire veteran Chris Wright took 3 for 56 and left-arm quick Josh Hull 3 for 79, although the 21-year-old’s day ended somewhat ignominiously when a second full toss above waist height saw him ordered out of the attack for the remainder of the innings. Regularly called for overstepping too, Hull racked up 11 no-balls in total.Gloucestershire, themselves not mathematically out of the running for a promotion place, made two changes from their most recent Championship side. Cameron Bancroft and Todd Murphy have both returned to Australia.Leicestershire made five. Peter Handscomb, whose captaincy has been an important element of the county winning six matches so far, has also gone home for the Australian domestic season, giving the armband to Ian Holland, who had not previously led a team at senior level.The availability of Shan Masood, who is staying on after his white-ball stint, and the arrival from Middlesex of Steve Eskinazi, bolstered the batting but with Rehan Ahmed on England duty and Ben Green recalled from loan by parent club Somerset, injuries to Tom Scriven and Liam Trevaskis further weakened their bowling hand.They seemed to feel it in a morning session which, apart from 10 minutes or so during Hull’s opening burst of the day, belonged to the visitors, who were 129 for 2 at lunch after Charlesworth took advantage of too many easy scoring opportunities offered up by the home attack with 10 fours in reaching 52 from 75 balls.Hull’s two successes came as 21-year-old Joe Phillips, opening in regular captain Bancroft’s place, was bowled off an inside edge by a yorker-length delivery and Ben Cox took a diving catch behind the stumps to remove Ollie Price.Leicestershire stemmed the flow of boundaries in the afternoon, earning an important breakthrough when Wright, now well into the autumn of his career, produced a delivery from his heyday to hit the top of Charlesworth’s off stump.Another came when Hammond, becoming increasingly frustrated despite reaching fifty for the eighth time this season, was tempted into pulling a shorter delivery from Hull and was caught at deep backward square. The innings took him past 800 runs for this season but he is still without a century.From 230 for 4 at tea, however, Gloucestershire advanced to a position of strength by the close, Leicestershire’s cause not helped by some untidiness creeping back into their bowling.Apart from Hull’s waywardness and subsequent removal, Ben Mike struggled for rhythm, conceding four boundaries to Bracey in the same over as the the left-hander quickly built on a 92-ball half-century, although he did have the misfortune to see van Buuren caught off a no-ball on 55.Worryingly for the home side, Mike limped off before the close with what looked like another recurrence of his recent hamstring problems.Leicestershire had to wait until the second new ball became available to make another breakthrough but two wickets in the space of six overs gave them a second bowling bonus point, Bracey edging to second slip attempting to drive Holland before Wright found some extra bounce and the edge of Jack Taylor’s bat, then trapping van Buuren in front to close proceedings for the day.

Zimbabwe’s towering fast-bowling totem talks about his recent form, taking on Bazball and the chance to make history

Alan Gardner19-May-2025Blessing Muzarabani smiles a lot. He smiles when asked about the UK weather, which he knows well from two seasons as a Kolpak signing with Northamptonshire. He smiles when talking about the prospect of bowling to England’s little-and-large opening pair, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. He smiles when we come to the question of his own height, which ESPNcricinfo has wrongly recorded as 6ft 6in. “I’m six foot eight, actually,” he grins.Does he enjoy using that towering advantage to intimidate batters? Another smile. “My greatest weapon is my height,” he says, before alluding to the temptation to pitch the ball short: “Sometimes I get carried away.” You can’t imagine that Curtly Ambrose or Courtney Walsh, two of the fast bowlers that Muzarabani modelled himself on growing up, would admit quite so readily to overdoing it.But Muzarabani is used to having to go about things differently. Zimbabwe do not have a great fast-bowling lineage to call on, in the way West Indies do. Muzarabani has had to travel the world to learn his trade, from a gangly youth at the Takashinga Club in Harare, via his time in Northampton – one of the least-glamorous stops on England’s county circuit – to proving himself in Test venues as far flung as Bulawayo and Belfast, Abu Dhabi and Sylhet.Related

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• From poverty to plenty: 2025 is a bumper Test year for Zimbabwe like none before

• Chivanga replaces injured Gwandu in Zimbabwe squad for England Test

The fruits of those labours are beginning to appear. Across four Test appearances in 2025, Muzarabani has taken 26 wickets at 18.61 – more than half of his career tally of 51. In the first three of those matches, he claimed innings figures of 6 for 95 (against Afghanistan in Bulawayo), 7 for 58 (against Ireland in Bulawayo) and 6 for 73 (against Bangladesh in Sylhet), making him the first pace bowler to take hauls of six-plus wickets in three consecutive Tests since Malcolm Marshall in 1988. The only other quicks to achieve the feat are Imran Khan and, in the 19th century, George Lohmann and Tom Richardson.Although that run came to an end in Chattogram, Muzarabani has already shot up to eighth on the all-time list for Zimbabwe. With another seven Tests scheduled in a bumper calendar year, he could well catch Ray Price (80) and end it behind only the peerless Heath Streak (216) for his country. Becoming only the second Zimbabwean to take 100 Test wickets is a realistic goal.”Yes, that’s a great thing,” he says. “Because I feel like Test wickets are really hard to get, actually, so getting 100 wickets is a big achievement for any fast bowler. That would be really special. I’m working through my processes and everything that happens, of course, we work hard to make sure those things happen. But, as well, I’m not really looking at wickets.”Contributing to victories, as Muzarabani did for only the second time in his 12-Test career in Sylhet, is the priority. “That is something that I would really love to do, to make that impact for the team, get those big wickets, so we can win more often. This is a big journey, playing against big teams. But, of course, I can’t be worried about what I’m going to do, thinking too much about it. The goal is just to win more games.”

“In T20 leagues, you learn a lot of things. You meet new people every day. You have to try to understand the captain that you’re working with. Of course, it’s not every captain that will believe in you, so you have to prove your point and try to improve yourself”

Whether sought after or not, wickets have come in a flood since his return to playing Test cricket for the first time in three years in mid-2024. No Zimbabwean who has taken 10 wickets can get close to Muzarabani’s career average (21.84) and strike rate (43.70), not even Streak. For his recent success, he credits the work put in with Zimbabwe’s bowling coach, former South Africa international Charl Langeveldt.”I’m really just enjoying my Test cricket. Working with my bowling coach, it’s about understanding the lengths to bowl in Test cricket. I feel like the more I play, the more I understand how I get my wickets. [Langeveldt] is the guy who has been working with me on my lengths and all the skills that I’m trying to use. He’s been really helpful in the things he’s saying.”While growing up in Zimbabwe honed his ability to “hit the deck” rather than look for swing, Muzarabani is well aware from his time with Northamptonshire of the importance of trying to pitch the ball up in English conditions. “For me, it’s about bowling a touch fuller. Yes, of course, my natural length can work, but also you have to be much fuller [to make the ball move].”Especially with me being tall, you can get carried away. In England the pitches are slower, sometimes when you bowl back of a length, guys can pull you and take you on. But the swing is something that can make you lose your control, so you have to find a balance. I learned a lot [in county cricket].”Muzarabani has played at Trent Bridge before, albeit only in pre-season for Northants six years ago. The ground’s reputation for swing (it is the English venue where James Anderson, with 73 wickets at 19.23, has the lowest average) has faded over the last few years, but Zimbabwe will hope for at least some bounce, allowing Muzarabani to operate at his favoured “ribcage length”.That, of course, will differ markedly for England’s opening pair of Crawley (tall, long levers, loves to drive) and Duckett (short, punchy, quick to pull and cut). Muzarabani knows the latter from his Northants days, although they barely overlapped before Duckett made Trent Bridge his home with Nottinghamshire. He knows both will look to take him on, but will lean on his own new-ball partner, the shorter, stockier Richard Ngarava, who has been Muzarabani’s counterpoint as a left-arm swing bowler since their days coming through together with Takashinga.Muzarabani spent two seasons at Northamptonshire on a Kolpak deal•Getty Images”It’s great bowling with Richie, we pick each other up. When it’s not going our way, we tend to communicate. When my head is going down, he will come to me, he knows my action. We were both playing together when we were really young, 9 or 10. So you know what to say because we know each other.”Just as important as a swift appraisal of conditions may be Muzarabani’s recent experience in franchise T20 cricket, which has seen him feature in the CPL, PSL and ILT20 – with a potential IPL debut on the way. Playing regularly overseas has added to his durability and skill set; against England’s Bazballers, with Crawley and Duckett in the vanguard, he knows he will need to have his wits about him.”To be honest, they [England] play almost like T20 sometimes. So for me, I’m trying to figure out the plan because they are not often going to get caught defending. It’s just more like backing yourself and being positive, because those guys are some of the best in the world. You can’t be worried about what they are going to do. You just have to worry about your lengths and your field.”In the leagues, you learn a lot of things. You meet new people every day. You have to try to understand the captain that you’re working with. Of course, it’s not every captain that will believe in you, so you have to prove your point and try to improve yourself. So I feel like it is good. You’re not in your comfort zone, but you have to learn. I feel like it’s something that’s really helping with my awareness and my T20 cricket.”With the red ball, he will fall back on a simple mantra: “Just hit your length. You can’t start thinking about those guys [what they are going to do], you get confused. Just trust yourself and trust your lengths.”Learning how to make the best of his natural advantages while overcoming the disadvantages – notably economic – of his background, it has been a significant journey for Muzarabani to get to this point. At 28, he should be at the peak of his powers as a fast bowler, and he is relishing the opportunity provided by Zimbabwe’s current glut of Test fixtures.”Playing for your country is always the best feeling, because you are representing your family. Of course, playing franchise cricket, you have extra money and you see the world, you get experience. But the first thing is always playing for your country. For me, that’s the number one thing.”Walking out at Trent Bridge next Thursday for Zimbabwe’s first Test match against England since 2003 will be, he says, “the greatest feeling ever for me and for the team. I’m just looking forward to showing everyone what we can do. It’s just a dream come true, for sure, getting to play [England in England]. No doubt that everyone is excited for the opportunity.”We believe we can actually cause an upset. I believe we are all good enough to really put on a good show. So I’m sure if we just come in and then do everything that we have to do, we are doing everything right, we’re going to come out in a good position in the game.”

In one of the most pivotal scenes during the hit movie 'Moneyball', which tells the story of the Oakland Athletics' ground-breaking, data-led approach in baseball – later copied by the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) at both the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool – the club's general manager Billy Beane has a candid discussion with veteran player David Justice over his role.

"David, you're 37. How about you and I be honest about what each of us wants out of this? I want to milk the last ounce of baseball you got in you, and you want to stay in the show," Beane, played by Brad Pitt, says after interrupting Justice in the middle of a batting practice. "Let's do that. Now, I'm not paying you for the player you used to be – I'm paying you for the player you are right now. You're smart, you get what we're trying to do here. Make an example for the younger guys, be a leader. Can you do that?"

Justice, whose body language switches from dismissive and defensive to fully engaged during Beane's speech, accepts that challenge and subsequently helps to revive the A's fortunes. It's easy to imagine Arne Slot pulling Mohamed Salah aside and delivering some similar home truths amid Liverpool's struggles for consistency on the football pitch this season, only to be met with a far more hostile response.

Salah signed a new contract at Anfield back in April that guaranteed him another two years in the Premier League "show". But the 33-year-old has since failed to set a shining example as the highest-paid player in the Liverpool squad, or seemingly take on board any constructive criticism.

Instead of stepping forward as a leader in times of trouble, Salah has become a destructive force, putting himself above the team. No one can take away the 'Egyptian King's' status as a Reds icon after so many years of brilliance and tangible success, but his decision to publicly speak out against Slot after being dropped to the bench has permanently tainted his legacy.

Getty Images SportFrom talisman to complete liability

Salah finished fourth in the final vote for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, which was a fair reflection of his stellar contribution to Liverpool's Premier League title success in 2024-25. Ever-present under Slot in the Dutchman's first year at the helm, Salah racked up a combined total of 47 goals and assists, the most ever recorded in a 38-game season.

His ruthless finishing and dazzling playmaking skills made the difference week in, week out, and in August, he deservedly became the first man to ever win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award three times. But Salah hasn't come close to matching those heights in the first half of the current campaign.

In fact, it could easily be argued that he has become a liability. The former Roma and Chelsea forward has only scored five goals in 19 appearances across all competitions, and even more worryingly, has been almost completely anonymous in Liverpool's build-up play and defensive phases. 

There are two key reasons for that. The first is that Trent Alexander-Arnold's summer move to Real Madrid has hit Salah harder than anyone could have predicted. Without a constant supply of world-class service down the right flank from the England international, Salah has looked completely lost.

Secondly, Liverpool have also been unable to cover for Salah's refusal to track back without pressing monsters Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. The club's decision to sell Diaz to Bayern Munich in the summer window has aged poorly, and the tragic death of Jota has left a void that new additions such as Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike have yet to fill.

AdvertisementAFPLoyalty all used up

There have been widespread calls for Salah to be taken out of the team throughout the season, which Slot largely resisted initially. He was restricted to late Champions League cameos against Galatasaray and Eintracht Frankfurt, but started all of Liverpool's first 12 Premier League games.

Slot showed Salah a great deal of loyalty based on the mutual trust they had built up last term, especially as results took a major turn for the worse. The Reds endured a run of nine defeats in 12 games across all competitions, with a 3-0 home loss to struggling Nottingham Forest marking the lowest point.

Liverpool dropped to 11th in the table after that result, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal after just 12 matches. Their title defence ended that day, and Slot was, in the eyes of many, hanging on to his job by a thread. Shoring up the weak right side that opponents had been exploiting at will was the first obvious step towards steadying the ship, and that meant taking Salah out of the firing line, which Slot did for the trip to West Ham on November 30.

Sure enough, the Reds produced a much-improved display to win 2-0, and Salah didn't even get off the bench. He did get a full 45 minutes as a half-time substitute in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland at Anfield three days later, but found himself back in the dugout for the duration of Liverpool's 3-3 thriller against Leeds on Saturday.

There was nothing much wrong with the attack at Elland Road; it was a series of familiar defensive mistakes that cost Slot's side. Liverpool may well have lost the game had Salah been on and in the same half-hearted mood he has been all season. So when he accused Slot of throwing him "under the bus" after the game, it was impossible to feel any sympathy towards the Egypt international.

Getty Images SportNo right to claim special treatment

After the humiliating loss to Forest, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher urged Salah to front up to the media as one of the most experienced and respected figures in the dressing room. “On the back of all these Liverpool defeats, it's always Virgil van Dijk who comes out,” Carragher told . “I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match or he needs a new contract. I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn't always be the captain.”

Salah finally came out at the weekend, but only for self-serving reasons, and couldn't resist signing off with a petty swipe at Carragher.

"I couldn't believe that I'm sitting on the bench for 90 minutes! The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I'm very, very disappointed to be fair,” he said. “I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far, I am on the bench for three games, so I can't say they keep the promise. After what I have done for the club, it really hurts. Tomorrow, Carragher is going to go for me again and again, and that’s fine.”

Carragher was only asking Salah to take a bit of responsibility and issue a rallying cry, which would have meant a lot to the Liverpool faithful and Slot. But Salah clearly doesn't care about the club's current plight. That 'woe is me' attitude smacks of arrogance and a lack of self-awareness. The board may have promised that Salah would remain their main man during contract talks, but it had to have been conditional on him maintaining his standards. Now that they have plummeted, he has no right to claim any special treatment.

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Getty/GOALBigger than the club

Salah also committed the unforgivable crime of disrespecting his manager. “I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship,” he said of Slot. “I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club. I don't think I am the problem. I have done so much for this club. I don't have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone but I earned my position. If I am somewhere else, everybody would go to the media and defend the players. I am the only one in this situation.”

The only one who has been thrown under the bus is Slot. Salah must have the memory of a goldfish, because Slot was his most fierce ally amid a barrage of criticism between August and November, and snapped back angrily when presenter Lynsey Hipgrave pressed him on Salah's importance before Liverpool's 3-2 loss at Brentford: “Should I have to explain or do his numbers speak for themselves? Mo has been so influential for this club since he’s been here and since I’ve been here.”

Slot had also been pleased with Salah's reaction to being dropped, describing him as a "top professional", but will surely now be re-evaluating that assessment. Despite his pleas to the contrary, Salah obviously thinks he's bigger than the club. He's shown his true colours, undermining Slot in the process, and the Liverpool boss now has to affirm his authority.

So many players have been guilty of underperforming, from Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate to Alexis Mac Allister and £116 million ($155m) man Florian Wirtz, while Isak and Milos Kerkez currently fall into the bracket of major transfer flops, and Slot has been forced to shuffle his pack consistently. But Salah is the only one who has thrown his toys out of the pram. He hasn't been the only problem, but he is now main one.

Bayern Munich legend Oliver Kahn has given his verdict on veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s performance against Arsenal. Kahn insisted Neuer was fouled during the controversial opening goal but admitted the goalkeeper made a "mistake" for the third strike that sealed the first defeat of the season for Vincent Kompany and Co.

• Neuer involved in controversial opener and decisive third goal

  Bayern goalkeeper endured a difficult evening during his side's 3-1 Champions League defeat to the English team, with two of the goals conceded drawing significant scrutiny. Kahn provided a detailed verdict on the critical moments, defending Neuer over a controversial opener but admitting the veteran made a "mistake" on the goal that effectively ended the contest.

  Bayern Munich's unbeaten Champions League run came to an end at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, with the spotlight falling firmly on the performance of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer regarding key moments in the 3-1 defeat.

  Arsenal took the lead in the 22nd minute following a corner kick. As the ball was delivered into the six-yard box, Neuer appeared to be impeded by an Arsenal player, preventing him from making a clean attempt to catch or punch the ball clear. Amid the confusion and contact, Jurrien Timber finished to put the hosts ahead.

  While Lennart Karl briefly equalised for Bayern, Arsenal regained control in the second half through Noni Madueke in the 69th minute. The critical moment that sealed Bayern's fate arrived in the 77th minute. Gabriel Martinelli struck Arsenal's third goal after Neuer came rushing up the field to challenge him, only to be left in the Brazilian's dust.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Kahn argues Neuer was fouled for Timber goal

  Kahn offered a robust defence of Neuer regarding the opening goal, arguing that the shot-stopper was the victim of a foul that went unpunished by the match officials and VAR.

  Speaking to , Kahn analysed the corner kick incident: "As a goalkeeper, you're focused on the player taking the corner. That means you can't see what's happening behind you. And if someone comes along at that exact moment and gives you even the slightest nudge or bumps into you, you lack the coordination you need to bring the corner down or punch it away."

  Kahn expressed strong disdain for such tactics used against goalkeepers in the penalty area. "I hated those kinds of disguised attacks. Even a small nudge is enough to make you lose the necessary coordination with the ball. In my opinion, VAR should have intervened and awarded a foul and a free kick."

• Bayern legend admits 'mistake' on Martinelli strike

  While Kahn defended Neuer over the first goal, he was less forgiving in his assessment of the decisive third goal scored by Martinelli in the 77th minute. When asked directly if Neuer had committed an error that led to the goal, Kahn's response was blunt.

  "Was that a mistake, yes or no? Yes, if that's how you want to see it, then it was a mistake," Kahn admitted, acknowledging that the German international should have done better in that defining moment.

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• Bayern Munich lack cutting edge despite possession

  The defeat marked Bayern Munich's first loss in the Champions League group stage this season and dropped them to third place in the standings, three points behind new leaders Arsenal. Despite dominating possession with 55% of the ball and completing significantly more passes than their opponents, Bayern struggled to threaten the Arsenal goal consistently.

  Kompany's side managed only two shots on target throughout the entire match, compared to Arsenal's eight, highlighting their issues in the final third against a disciplined Gunners defence. The result leaves Bayern level on 12 points with Inter Milan, making their final group fixtures crucial for securing a top seeding for the knockout phase.

There comes a time when a club must face the thought of one of their superstars leaving. Not in hostile, bitter circumstances, but because age has caught up with them, and it is the right time to close the door on their glittering stay.

Steven Gerrard’s departure from Liverpool a decade ago was very much representative of this, but now, the Anfield side are beginning to understand that Mohamed Salah is likely into his final stretch at the club, having signed a new £400k-per-week contract in April that will take him to the end of next season.

Last year was Salah’s. The Egyptian forward decided one Premier League trophy wasn’t enough and embarked on a record-breaking journey toward his second title with Liverpool, scoring 29 goals and supplying 18 assists across the top-flight term.

The decline since the summer has been steep, and though there are a number of circumstances likely impacting his performance, Salah is 33 years old and claims that he is suffering the inevitability of a late-career wind down are justified.

Liverpool need a new right winger by the end of 2026/27, but they also need more energy and athleticism, with Salah not the only player culpable of lacking those elements this season.

Liverpool ready to search for Salah successor

There’s been a statistic floating about regarding Liverpool’s running metrics, and it’s concerning, to say the least. Only once across Liverpool’s past seven Premier League matches have they outrun their opponent.

Salah has been at the epicentre of this struggle. The veteran winger’s defensive work rate has decreased over the past several years, but his insane levels of prolificness have eased any frustration over this foible.

But now that his sharpened edge has been dulled, it’s becoming clear that Salah is a weak link, ranking among the bottom 4% of Premier League positional peers this season for tackles won and the bottom 15% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

The sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich hasn’t helped things, with the Colombian among the most electric and tenacious forwards out there. Liverpool did not directly replace Diaz, who chalked up 25 goal contributions in all competitions for Arne Slot last year.

But Liverpool could find their new version of the 28-year-old in his Bayern teammate Michael Olise. According to Spanish sources, the France international is in Richard Hughes’ sights as Liverpool plan for the future, and the Reds are even believed to be preparing a British-record package worth €200m (about £177m).

Olise, 23, has been a revelation in Germany since joining from Crystal Palace over a year ago, and FSG know they need to replace Salah with an elite winger when the time does come.

What Olise would offer Liverpool

Since signing for Bayern in a £50m deal, Olise has scored 27 goals and supplied 30 assists across 72 matches. Widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in England, called a “magical footballer” by content creator HLTCO, he has established himself as a superstar.

An elegant and intelligent wide forward, Olise is not a clinical goalscorer, but he boasts so many athletic and technical qualities that could see him thrive as Salah’s successor, especially as he wouldn’t be trying to mimic the club legend’s playing style, rather, bring his own flavour.

In the Bundesliga this season, for example, the Les Bleus talent has averaged 1.9 key passes, 1.7 successful dribbles and 4.2 duels per match, as per Sofascore, with seven goal involvements from just eight starts.

Looking at the potential addition through a wider lens, we can see that Olise is actually outstripping Salah over many important metrics across the past year, and with Liverpool’s talisman seemingly declining in front of goal, that gulf will only stretch over the next 18 months.

Mohamed Salah vs Michael Olise (past 12 months)

Stats (per 90)

Salah

Olise

Goals scored

0.62

0.38

Assists

0.33

0.50

Shots taken

3.08

3.55

Shot-creating actions

3.96

6.60

Touches (att pen)

8.64

6.48

Pass completion (%)

70.1

80.7

Progressive passes

3.78

7.15

Progressive carries

4.13

4.90

Successful take-ons

1.28

2.53

Ball recoveries

2.77

3.95

Data via FBref

Olise is not so much of an out-and-out goalscorer as Salah, but in this, Liverpool could strike the jackpot.

With Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike both signed this summer, Liverpool have revamped their central attacking options. Olise would be the perfect add-on, bringing Diaz-esque dribbling and peerless playmaking back to the Premier League, helping Slot’s side’s overall fluency.

Though the Reds ostensibly have the parts to fashion stunning attacking play and sustain it, there’s no question that something is missing. When Salah leaves, that will only become clearer, with the struggles for form up top now that he is not on his A-game already being felt. For so long, Liverpool have been reliant on the iconic winger’s brilliance, and now they need new solutions.

It was a mistake on FSG and Slot’s part not to have added a direct Diaz replacement to their ranks this season, and the ramifications are certainly being felt, stretched and accentuated by Salah’s own woes on the right.

Were a younger iteration of Salah in this struggling Liverpool side, the sale of Diaz would not be so keenly felt. Now, it’s vital that Liverpool and Hughes get it right in sourcing a replacement.

You won’t find many better than Olise, and he has the perfect style of play to stand in the space that Salah will eventually vacate, not an imitation but his own, world-class player.

Related Not Wirtz: Slot's own Firmino proved he can end Gakpo's Liverpool stay

One of Liverpool’s star men proved he has what it takes to play in a number of positions under Slot’s wing.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 14, 2025

Taskin starred with the ball, Litton led the way with the bat, and comeback man Saif contributed a fine all-round display

Abhimanyu Bose30-Aug-2025Taskin Ahmed, Saif Hassan and captain Litton Das played starring roles as Bangladesh eased to an eight-wicket win over Netherlands in the first T20I in Sylhet.Taskin took four wickets and Saif, playing his first T20I since October 2023, bagged his first two T20I wickets as Bangladesh restricted the visitors to 136 after asking them to bat. Saif completed his comeback with a quickfire cameo to support Litton’s brisk half-century as Bangladesh won with 6.3 overs to spare.

Taskin keeps Netherlands quiet

Max O’Dowd started well for Netherlands, driving and flicking Shoriful Islam for three fours in the second over. He then launched Mahedi Hasan, who opened the bowling, for a six down the ground in the third.But Taskin struck with his first ball, getting O’Dowd to spoon a catch to cover off a leading edge.Netherlands managed just nine more runs from the 2.5 remaining overs in the powerplay, with their only boundary coming through another leading edge from Teja Nidamanuru that just evaded a leaping cover fielder.Then, Taskin struck again with the first ball of his second over, the eighth of the innings. Vikramjit Singh looked to switch gears and go down the ground, but could only pick out long-on.

Saif ends Netherlands counterattack

Nidamanuru counterattacked, pulling Taskin for a six later in that over before squeezing one past short third for four. That began a stretch that brought Netherlands 27 runs off just 11 balls, before Saif nipped the counterattack in the bud with his maiden international wicket.Netherlands captain Scott Edwards tried to sweep the offspinner but couldn’t get distance on his shot, and Jaker Ali ran to his right to take a brilliant diving catch at long leg. Two balls later, Saif had Nidamanuru holing out to deep midwicket.Mustafizur Rahman got on the board when a short ball drew a top edge from Shariz Ahmad’s attempted pull to leave Netherlands five wickets down in the 13th over.Taskin picked up two more wickets in his remaining two overs, and Netherlands added just 52 to their score over their last eight overs.Saif Hassan struck twice in an over•BCB

Emon starts strong, Litton continues the momentum

Parvez Hossain Emon got Bangladesh off to the perfect start with two fours and a six off the first three balls of the innings, from offspinner Aryan Dutt. He put away two shortish balls either side of point, and when Dutt went fuller, Emon slog-swept him over midwicket.Tanzid Hasan also started with a boundary, clipping Kyle Klein through backward square leg, but Dutt applied the brakes next over when he slid a quick one through Emon’s defences.Litton, however, ensured Bangladesh didn’t let the pressure build. In the fifth over, he drove Dutt through point before flicking him over midwicket next ball. In the last over of the powerplay, Litton crashed left-arm spinner Daniel Doram through the covers before launching him down the ground for his first six.Tanzid did a good job in a support role while Litton kept going after the bowling. He welcomed Shariz Ahmad with back-to-back boundaries in his first over, and punished Klein for straying onto his pads, whipping him fine on the leg side for another six.By the time Tanzid picked out long-on off a full toss in the tenth over, Bangladesh needed just 45 off 65 balls.

Saif completes perfect comeback

Litton brought up his 13th T20I half-century, off just 26 balls, in the 11th over. Then Saif, having got his eye in while scoring seven off nine balls, let loose, coming down the track to loft Tim Pringle over long-on.Saif then swung Paul van Meekeren into the leg side for a four before sealing the win with back-to-back sixes off Vikramjit in the 14th over.Litton contributed just 10 runs to an unbroken 46-run stand for the third wicket, with Saif finishing unbeaten on 36 off just 19 deliveries – a knock that will encourage the returning batter, whose career T20I strike rate jumped from 81.25 to 106.02 after this match.

ECB announce fixtures for men’s and women’s competitions in 2026, in new two-month window

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2025Warwickshire have retired their Birmingham Bears moniker for T20 Blast matches, and will instead revert to being called Warwickshire Bears when the rebooted men’s and women’s competition gets underway in 2026.The club won their sole T20 title as Birmingham Bears in 2014, but have reverted to their county name after more than a decade, following feedback from members and in recognition of the women’s county competition that got underway this season.”Warwickshire has and always will be at the heart of who we are,” Stuart Cain, the county’s chief executive, said. “It’s our identity and has been for well over a century.”Over a decade ago, the club decided to be bold with a city-based name for our T20 team and it saw attendances grow to record levels and attract new fans to the Bears. But with our long-term future in mind, and following feedback from members through the members committee, now is the right time for change.”We represent the county and that’s what returning to Warwickshire Bears is about.”The announcement came ahead of the ECB’s unveiling of next year’s Blast fixtures – which, for the 14th consecutive year, will be hosted at Warwickshire’s home ground of Edgbaston (or EdgBLASTon, as per the club’s “bold and electrifying move” to rebrand the stadium for the duration of the tournament).The Blast schedule has been compromised in recent years, following the introduction of the Hundred in a mid-summer block in July and August. This year’s event featured a final on September 13, almost two months after the conclusion of the group stage in July, meaning that each of the four teams were missing key players – a situation described by Lancashire’s captain, Keaton Jennings, as “ludicrous”.The new-look tournament will take place in a tightened two-month window. The group stage for men and women will run from May 22 to July 12, with the men’s quarter-finals taking place three days later on July 15 and Men’s Finals Day on July 18. Women’s Finals Day will take place 24 hours earlier, on a Friday, at the Kia Oval.Related

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The men’s groups have been rejigged, with three groups of six teams replacing the long-standing North and South Groups, albeit with a retention of many of the more traditional rivalries – including Yorkshire versus Lancashire in Lancashire in Group A, Gloucestershire versus Somerset in Group B, and Surrey versus Middlesex in Group C.Each team will now play 12 group-stage matches instead of 14, which has allowed the schedulers to place 80% of these fixtures in fan-friendly slots on a Friday, Sunday or a Bank Holiday. Following feedback from the PCA, which warned of the dangers of player fatigue in a recent survey, the total number of back-to-back matches in the men’s competition has been reduced to six – which is down from more than 50 two years ago – while there is just one in the women’s competition.”The changes to the men’s and women’s Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 have been made in order to benefit fans and players alike,” Neil Snowball, ECB managing director, competitions and major events, said. “Every county will host a men’s and women’s double header, with 61 double-headers in total, while the significant reduction in back-to-back games gives players more opportunity to perform at their very best throughout the competition.Surrey’s Grace Harris poses with the Women’s T20 Blast trophy•ECB via Getty Images

“The narrative of both competitions will also be easier to follow with the knockout stages following on immediately after the group stages, culminating in a true celebration of T20 cricket with the women’s and men’s Vitality Blast Finals Days being hosted at the Kia Oval and Edgbaston on consecutive days.”PCA Chief Executive, Daryl Mitchell, said: “Throughout the past 12 months, the PCA has worked tirelessly alongside the professional game to improve standards for players across all formats. The Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 highlight considerable improvements with a real energy injected into them.”Players want to be at their optimum levels to perform at their best in county cricket’s flagship T20 competition and a significant reduction of back-to-back fixtures across the men’s and women’s Blast, alongside more men’s and women’s double headers and reduced travel in the men’s game will allow this.”The tournaments will begin with 16 men’s and women’s double-headers across the May Bank Holiday Weekend. Somerset, the men’s defending champions, will face Hampshire Hawks in a rematch of last year’s final at Taunton, while Surrey – the women’s winners – will face Lancashire.Yorkshire’s women, who will be embarking on their maiden Tier 1 season, will take part in their first Roses double-header at Old Trafford on 10 July.

Vitality Blast Men’s Competition

Group A: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire

Group B: Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Somerset, Warwickshire Bears, Worcestershire Rapids

Group C: Essex, Kent Spitfires, Hampshire Hawks, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks

When approaching a transfer window, whether it is in the summer or January, Glasgow Rangers should be looking to do one of two things with their signings.

They should be making signings with a view to improving the team in the short-term, as they should always be competing for trophies every season.

As well as those impact signings, the Gers should also be looking for young players who have the potential for big development, with a view to selling them on for a substantial profit in the future, to carry their player trading model.

In the summer transfer window just gone, Kevin Thelwell led the recruitment drive and it is hard to see many signings that fall into either of those categories at the moment.

In terms of short-term impact, Rangers are currently fifth in the Scottish Premiership after finishing second last season, which shows that they have regressed on the pitch.

Meanwhile, there are not too many players who were signed in the summer who currently look like they will go on to be sold for a profit in the future.

Rangers summer signings who are most likely to be sold for a profit

Thelwell, who was moved on from his position on Monday, swooped to bring in seven players on permanent deals to Ibrox in the summer, along with the pre-agreed permanent deals for Oscar Cortes and Lyall Cameron that were agreed before he joined in April.

Rangers have a fairly decent record of selling players for big money in recent years. Calvin Bassey joined Ajax for £19.6m, Joe Aribo joined Southampton for £6m, and Nathan Patterson signed for Everton for £11.5m in 2022, whilst Hamza Igamane was sold to Lille for £10.4m this year.

Excluding Cortes and Cameron, as they were not sanctioned by Thelwell, it would be bold to confidently predict that any of the seven permanent summer signings will be sold for profit.

Djeidi Gassama feels like the most likely, at this moment in time, because he was signed from Sheffield Wednesday for £2.2m and has produced six goals and two assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt. No other summer signing has scored more than twice.

Because none of the others have provided much of an attacking threat, Emmanuel Fernandez, despite playing just four matches, may rank second. Signed for £3.5m, he has scored two goals in four matches and won 88% of his aerial duels in two league outings, per Sofascore.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Emmanuel Fernandez

3

Oliver Antman

4

Thelo Aasgaard

5

Youssef Chermiti

6

Bojan Miovski

7

Joe Rothwell

As you can see in the table above, Joe Rothwell and Bojan Miovski, who both started on the bench against Livingston last weekend, rank in the bottom two because they have been bit-part players at the ages of 30 and 26, which does not suggest that they are likely to kick on and be sold for a big profit.

Oliver Antman, with three goal contributions, and Thelo Aasgaard, with two goal contributions, rank just ahead of those two because they are 24 and 23, respectively, and still have time to improve.

Youssef Chermiti ranks in fifth because he has plenty of time to develop, at 21, but was signed for a whopping fee of £8m and has only produced one goal in 13 matches as a striker, per Transfermarkt, which makes it seem unlikely, on current evidence, that they will recoup that outlay.

Meanwhile, there is a player in the current Rangers squad, signed before Thelwell arrived, who does look likely to be sold on for a substantial profit, and potentially for even more than the likes of Joe Aribo and Hamza Igamane.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Nicolas Raskin was signed by former Gers boss Michael Beale under the previous ownership at Ibrox, whilst they were between sporting directors, in January 2023 for a reported fee of roughly £1.5m from Standard Liege.

Why Rangers could sell Nicolas Raskin for a profit

Given that the Belgian midfielder was signed for a fairly small sum of money, certainly in comparison to a player like Chermiti, it will be ‘easier’ for Rangers to bank a profit on him if they ever decide to cash in.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Leeds and Tottenham are two of a number of clubs across the Premier League and Europe that are eyeing up a possible move for Raskin, but that the Gers want a “big fee” for their star.

This shows that there are teams keen on snapping the Belgium international up from Ibrox in the winter window, which means that Rangers could, if they wanted to, cash in on him to fund new signings for Danny Rohl, not to say that is what they should do.

TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that it would take a fee of £18m to £20m to tempt the Gers to sell Raskin, which would be a substantial profit on the £1.5m they signed him for almost three years ago.

Selling him for a fee in that region would mean that Rangers would get more money for him than they did for Igamane, Patterson, and Aribo, as aforementioned, although it would take a fee of £20m for him to take Bassey’s crown as the most expensive sale in the club’s history.

Appearances

33

10

Sofascore rating

7.43

7.39

Goals

4

1

Assists

10

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.4

2.8

Ground duel success rate

57%

53%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

56%

As you can see in the table above, Raskin’s performances as a box-to-box midfielder in the Premiership have been exceptional since the start of last season, as he has provided quality in the final third and defensive strength out of possession.

The 24-year-old maestro, once praised as “unbelievable” by ex-Gers striker Kris Boyd, has proven that he can provide consistent performances for the club, which is something the batch of summer signings this year have failed to do thus far.

That is why Raskin may end up being sold for a huge fee, as possibly the most or second-most expensive sale in the club’s history, amid interest from several teams in January, whilst it is hard to say if any of Thelwell’s signings will go on to be sold for a profit.

"Rotten" Thelwell signing is Rangers' biggest waste of time since Dowell

This summer signing by Kevin Thelwell has been as bad as the deal to bring Kieran Dowell to Rangers.

ByDan Emery Nov 26, 2025

Whilst Rangers supporters may not want to see the Belgian move on from the club in January, his story and the fact that there is the possibility that he is sold for huge money is an example that Thelwell’s replacement should look to follow.

Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign Abde Ezzalzouli, at Unai Emery’s request, and Real Betis’ asking price has been revealed.

Villa’s interest in signing a new forward comes amid doubts surrounding Harvey Elliott’s future, with widespread reports suggesting Liverpool could recall the attacking midfielder from his loan spell in the January transfer window.

Elliott has failed to establish himself as a first-team regular, featuring for just 97 minutes across four matches in the Premier League this season, and Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on whether there is any way back for the Englishman.

The transfer expert said: “At the moment, it depends on his performances in training. The situation is still not changing and of course, Elliott is not happy.”

Should the 22-year-old exit Villa Park this winter, there may be room in the squad to bring in another attacker, and the Villans are now looking to sign a new winger…

Aston Villa join race to sign Abde Ezzalzouli at Unai Emery's request

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign Real Betis star Ezzalzouli, with the forward being monitored closely ahead of the January transfer window, although there could be competition for his signature from Crystal Palace.

The Betis board’s asking price is ‘significantly’ in excess of the Moroccan’s current value of €12m (£11m), with the Spanish club eager to retain one of their key players, and manager Manuel Pellegrini has made it clear he wants to keep hold of him.

The 23-year-old has been personally requested by Emery for January, with the manager setting out to sign a new winger in order to strengthen his side’s chances of winning the Europa League.

It is little wonder Pellegrini is keen to keep hold of the 25-time Morocco international, given that he has impressed at Real Betis for quite some time, with scout Ben Mattinson waxing lyrical about the left-winger during the 2024/25 campaign.

The former Osasuna man has also made a flying start to the season, chipping in with three goals and two assists in his opening eight games, which has helped propel his side to fifth in the La Liga table.

Emery strengthened his options at left-wing in the summer, signing Jadon Sancho, but the Manchester United loanee is yet to make an impact, failing to register a single goal or assist in his opening eight matches in all competitions.

As such, it would make sense to bring in a new winger in the January transfer window, and Ezzalzouli could be a fantastic long-term addition to the squad.

Aston Villa targeting Ansu Fati alongside Abde Ezzalzouli

Aston Villa prepared to make Ansu Fati offer but face complicated roadblock

The Villans are willing to make a bid for a new forward, after Emery’s plea to the board.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 4, 2025

Pakistan got to their highest T20I score while batting first against India, 171 for 5. If India win, it will be the highest successful chase of Asia Cup 2025. Yet, the total looked insufficient after the start Pakistan had. They scored just 80 runs in the back 10 despite being just one down at the halfway mark.There was a period of 39 legal deliveries without a boundary leading up to the death overs, which completely derailed what looked like a promising innings that could finally give the tournament a game to remember. It would have frustated Pakistan even more that they had got the better of India’s spin threat, hitting three sixes in the first three middle overs, but succumbed to the sixth bowler, Shivam Dube.Dube ended up with figures of 4-0-33-2, taking the wickets of the two set batters, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, who put on 72 for the second wicket after the latter’s demotion to No. 3. Farhan, who reached 51 off just 34 balls, ended up with just 58 off 45. It was only Faheem Ashraf’s unbeaten 20 off 8 in the end that gave Pakistan respectability.Pakistan, the slowest side bar Oman and UAE in the middle overs during this Asia Cup, had looked set to correct those numbers, but Dube’s breakthrough and the quality of Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav proved to be too big a challenge. Varun went for just 25 in four overs, and Kuldeep returned figures of 4-0-31-1.