قدم آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول، لفتة رائعة تجاه المدير الفني السابق للفريق، يورجن كلوب، خلال احتفالات التتويج باللقب.

وتوج ليفربول بطلاً للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لموسم 2024-2025، بعد الفوز أمام توتنهام، اليوم الأحد.

واكتسح ليفربول خصمه توتنهام بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدف، في إطار مباريات الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين للبريميرليج.

وحرص سلوت على تحية كلوب مدرب ليفربول السابق، خلال الاحتفالات مع الجماهير على ملعب “آنفيلد”.

وهتف سلوت باسم يورجن كلوب، لتردد جماهير ليفربول اسم المدرب الألماني خلف سلوت.

اقرأ أيضًا | محمد صلاح يُفسر احتفاله بالـ”سيلفي” مع جماهير ليفربول.. ويؤكد: هذا اللقب يُظهر قدراتي

وتولى سلوت مسؤولية تدريب ليفربول خلفًا ليورجن كلوب الذي قرر الرحيل عن ليفربول، ونجح المدرب الهولندي في قيادة الفريق للقب الدوري الإنجليزي في موسمه الأول كمدير فني للريدز.

ويعد ذلك اللقب هو رقم 20 لليفربول في تاريخه، وكان اللقب السابق على يد يورجن كلوب في موسم 2019-2020.

Arne Slot singing Jurgen Klopp’s name ❤️

pic.twitter.com/Uq5DNKLsIO

— Anfield Sector (@AnfieldSector) April 27, 2025

Chelsea supporters have been urged to “keep an eye” on one potentially “massive” transfer, as BlueCo apparently consider signing another Man City star for manager Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea seal 4-3 comeback win over Tottenham as January window looms

The Chelsea squad are giving Stamford Bridge officials something to really think about heading into the looming January transfer window, as Maresca’s side are in exceptional form and sit just four points off Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

Chelsea transfer "priority" as BlueCo look at signing £75m England player

A very reliable journalist says he’s under consideration at Stamford Bridge.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 10, 2024

Their latest statement win, a 4-3 comeback away to Tottenham from two goals down, has added further weight to the notion that they’re now genuine title contenders – even if Maresca continues to downplay such suggestions.

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures	Date
Brentford (home)	December 15
Everton (away)	December 22
Fulham (home)	December 26
Ipswich Town (away)	December 30
Crystal Palace (away)	January 4

While Clearlake Capital have displayed a history of serious spending since the consortium’s takeover in 2022, Todd Boehly and BlueCo will be wary of throwing illustrious new names into the mix mid-season when the current team appears to possess such a well-executed balance right now.

That being said, reliable Blues journalist Simon Phillips reported earlier this week that Chelsea are prioritising the addition of a new centre-back, and this could happen as early as January.

The futures of Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile, who have struggled for consistent minutes in their first-team overall, despite minutes in cup competitions, are described as uncertain by Phillips, even if other reliable sources indicate that Chelsea actually see a bright future for the latter player (Ben Jacobs).

Of the centre-backs being targeted, one of them is Everton starlet Jarrad Branthwaite. It is believed Branthwaite has interest from Chelsea heading into 2025, but he isn’t the only defender on their radar, with Benfica’s Tomas Araujo, Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and Portugal international Antonio Silva all being considered (Simon Phillips).

However, perhaps the most interesting target, and one who would be an undoubted statement addition, is Man City star Ruben Dias.

Chelsea considering "massive" deal for Man City star Ruben Dias

According to Phillips’ “best and most historic Chelsea source”, via the reporter’s Substack, Chelsea are considering Dias as a potential centre-back signing – with the £180,000-per-week treble winner on their shortlist.

The source has urged readers to “keep an eye” on Dias’ possible switch to Stamford Bridge, in what would be a “massive deal”, and a type of transfer which the club’s hierarchy are apparently striving for.

Up until recently, Dias has been an ever-present in City’s defence and key player in their dominance of English football since signing for them from Benfica for around £65 million.

He is a player of proven Premier League and European pedigree, not to mention a real leader of men.

The 27-year-old is just five appearances away from 200 overall in a City shirt, during a period where he’s won trophies galore and clinched both the country and club’s 2021 Player of the Year award.

Ben Stokes has seen and done some incredible things during his international career, but England’s Test captain said that they had all been “blown away” by the experience of leading his side to victory on day five at Trent Bridge, as England completed a pursuit of 299 in a scarcely believable 50 overs, in so doing achieving the fifth-highest successful run chase in their Test history.Stokes hit the winning runs, carving Trent Boult through the covers for a four that evoked the dramatic denouement at Headingley three summers ago, to finish unbeaten on 75 from 70 balls. But on this occasion his was the support act, after Jonny Bairstow had demolished New Zealand’s hopes of escape during the final session with a thunderous 136 from 92.It completed a remarkable Test, the eighth-highest scoring of all time, as England found a way to win despite seeing New Zealand rack up 553 after being asked to bat. Although they conceded a narrow first-innings lead, the rate at which England’s runs came ensured that all results remained possible going into the final day, with New Zealand 238 runs ahead and seven wickets down.”I’m struggling to find words for what we witnessed out there today, it was just phenomenal,” Stokes said, after England’s second rousing win in as many Tests to mark the start of his partnership with new coach, Brendon McCullum.”That blows away Headingley, it blows away Lord’s and the World Cup final. Just emotionally and the enjoyment of every minute I had on that field, it was incredible. In the field, it sounds stupid after 150 overs in the dirt but how everybody was just trying to come up with different plans how we were going to change the course of this game to put it back in our hands was just so enjoyable. It was it was just amazing. The whole vibe this week has been awesome. And then to come out and perform the way that we did today…”I just can’t quite wrap my head around how we’ve chased 299 with 20 overs left on day five of the Test match when we had to bowl 15 overs this morning. That’s never going to happen again. But if it does, it is probably us who are going to do it.”Related

• Ben Stokes charges up his learning curve as England Test captain

• Jonny Bairstow blitz leads England to memorable win and 2-0 series lead

• Jonny Bairstow on stunning England run-chase: 'It was do or die, so you've got to do'

Having bowled out New Zealand just over an hour into the final morning, England were left needing 299 in a minimum of 72 overs. Alex Lees struck the first two balls of the chase for four, but their hopes took a dive with the dismissal of Joe Root – who scored 176 in the first innings – to leave them 59 for 3.Their momentum was further checked when Lees fell for a spirited 44. But rather than dig in, England continued to attack, Stokes hitting his tenth ball for six and then twice reverse-sweeping Michael Bracewell’s offspin for four. England were 139 for 4 at tea, needing 160 from 38 overs, before Bairstow launched his extraordinary assault.”Something we say in the dressing-room – he had his ‘Jonny eyes’ on today and when he gets those eyes on you know you’re on to something,” Stokes said. “We were hardly speaking out there to be honest. That was one of the best things I’ve ever seen, to do it in the fourth innings, chasing a big total, game in the balance, to play the way he did once he got past fifty was just mind-blowing. Phenomenal to watch.”Bairstow and Stokes added 179 in 20.1 overs, as New Zealand’s faint hopes of forcing a win disintegrated. Had they managed to break the stand earlier, England’s plan was to just keep swinging to the end, Stokes said.”The message just was run into the fear of what the game was rather than stand still or back away from it. I’ll say it quite simply, we were either winning this game or losing it. That was the mentality that we wanted all the batters coming in to have. It’s obviously paid off. When you have the backing of the coach and myself saying what I say about how we want to go about things, it obviously rubs off on the players in a very, very positive way. So you’re not fearing failure, if anything you’re just going out and doing what you want to do.”This Test match will probably all be about today but you don’t win Test matches in the last session of day five without all the hard work you put in on day four. The way we bounced back with the bat after being in the field for a long time, them getting 560 or 570, the way we went about it with the bat, the rate that we scored, really allowed us to be in this position on day five. Even bowling them out for 270 on a very flat wicket was a serious effort and I couldn’t be any more proud of the way that everybody stuck at it.”Ben Stokes scored a 55-ball half-century and added 179 with Jonny Bairstow•Getty Images

England’s victory was witnessed by packed stands, after Nottinghamshire provided free entry on the final day, and the enterprising approach chimed with McCullum’s stated intentions on taking up the Test coaching job of wanting to help revive the format.”It’ll be hard for people not to enjoy what they’ve witnessed today, and everything over the last five days,” Stokes said. “A lot of credit has to go to Notts for what they did today, allowing free tickets and for people who had already bought tickets getting their money back. Having a full house here at Trent Bridge really does help the atmosphere.”You can really feel the home crowd and it’ll make the opposition feel the whole world’s on top of them. If we had a half-full stadium today, it wouldn’t have felt how it did out there. It’ll be nice if some other counties take a leaf out of what they did here today, it was really cool to be a player with a full crowd.”On the startling turnaround in fortunes, with England having won just one of their previous 17 Tests before the New Zealand series, Stokes suggested that there remained room for improvement and reiterated the commitment to aggression that has seemingly been key to unlocking the talent within a largely unchanged group of players.”Things like this do not happen overnight,” he said. “But this couldn’t have been a better start in terms of the new way we want to go forward. We know we’re still working towards a lot of things. We’re never going to be happy with where we are. There is going to be some bad days. We’re yet to really see the bad side of the game at the moment because obviously we’ve had two results go our way, but there will be days that affect us and we’ll probably lose a game with this mindset.”That’s probably going to be the biggest challenge for us, how we respond to adversity, how we respond to things not going our way. Now we go to Headingley 2-0 up, won the series, but with World Test Championship points to play for. We’re going to be even more positive as I said after Lord’s. I don’t know how we can be more positive than this week but we will probably try.”With this group of players, the sky’s the limit but we could probably go further than that.”

An Italian journalist has claimed that recently-sacked Juventus manager Thiago Motta had some rather harsh words for forward Kenan Yildiz.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Motta's exchanges with Yildiz revealed
• Young Turk fell out of favour with the ex-coach
• Motta sacked by Juve earlier this month

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Earlier this month, Juventus parted ways with Thiago Motta after a string of unconvincing results, both domestically and in the Champions League. In the aftermath of his sacking, Italian journalist Sandro Sabatini has made some shocking revelations regarding Motta's alleged brutal exchanges with talented youngster Kenan Yildiz.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yildiz started the season as a key part of Motta’s plans, but his role diminished in the final weeks of the coach’s tenure. He was sidelined for crucial games against Inter and Fiorentina and was subbed off at half-time against Atalanta. His benching in Juventus’ 3-0 loss to Fiorentina before the international break – Motta’s final game in charge – further underscored the apparent shift in his standing within the squad.

• WHAT JOURNALIST SANDRO SABATINI SAID

  “At a certain point, Yildiz disappeared from Thiago Motta’s hierarchy,” said Sabatini on the podcast, as reported by Tuttosport.

  “He’s a young player who found himself shuffled around from one position to another, and on a couple of occasions during training, Motta told him: ‘Who do you think you are? You’re not Messi.'”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

  The Bianconeri find themselves in fifth position in the Serie A table, one point behind the top four and 12 below league leaders Inter. Newly-appointed head coach Igor Tudor has his work cut out for the last nine games of the season and he'll be in charge of his first Juve match on Saturday, March 29, when they take on Genoa.

Glasgow Rangers dropped two points at Easter Road on Sunday after they failed to hold onto the lead against Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.

The Light Blues had a 2-0 and a 3-2 lead at various points in the afternoon but were unable to hold on to secure all three points despite Hamza Igamane’s hat-trick, as the home side battled back hard to earn themselves a point.

Philippe Clement will be disappointed that his team, who have now won one of their last four league games, could not maintain their composure defensively to prevent Hibernian from having the chance to score three times.

One of the players who failed to step up when they were needed most was goalkeeper Liam Kelly, who is standing in for the unwell Jack Butland.

Liam Kelly's performance against Hibernian

The Scotland international, who kept a clean sheet against Celtic at Ibrox on Thursday, conceded three goals from six shots on target against him on Sunday.

Martin Boyle’s first goal for Hibernian was one that the shot-stopper could do little about, however, as the winger fired a shot into the bottom corner with pace and power.

Whilst it would be tough to blame Kelly for not saving Boyle’s penalty, his part in the late equaliser from Rocky Bushiri should come under question.

The Rangers goalkeeper came off his line in an attempt to clear the cross from a corner and got absolutely nowhere near the ball, allowing Bushiri to head into a virtually empty net.

Kelly’s error contributed to the third Motherwell goal and led to the team dropping two points, but one player who was even worse than the stand-in goalkeeper was right-back Ridvan Yilmaz.

Ridvan Yilmaz's performance against Hibernian

The Turkey international was deployed at right-back once again to fill in for James Tavernier, who is injured, and it is a difficult task for him to play on his weaker side.

However, Yilmaz showed that he does have what it takes to put in a strong performance in that position because he impressed in the win over Celtic on Thursday in that role.

The left-footed defender’s use of the ball against Hibernian was less than ideal, as he lost possession 16 times in total. He stalled on the ball and waited too long to make the right decision on numerous occasions, much to the frustration of Vaclav Cerny at times.

Minutes

90

90

Duels won

5/7

2/8

Tackles + interceptions

3

1

Possession lost

9x

16x

Dribbles completed

1/2

2/4

As you can see in the table above, Yilmaz’s performance level dipped significantly for the trip to face Hibs after an excellent showing against Celtic, in both his defensive and offensive contributions.

The Turkish lightweight lost the majority of his physical duels in the draw on Sunday, which helped the home team to pile pressure on Rangers in the second half, and he gave the ball away far too often.

Put it simply, Yilmaz let Clement down badly by allowing his performance level to drop as much as it did from his display against Celtic.

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With the injury issues, the defender could be needed as a starter at right-back in the weeks to come and the manager will need more consistency from him.

Manchester City are now in talks about signing a new a player, with Pep Guardiola looking to bolster his side this month after what’s been a disappointing season so far.

Man City make it back-to-back wins with victory over West Ham

Following a run of just one win in nine Premier League games that stretched from the start of November all the way to Boxing Day, Manchester City are back to winning ways. After beating Leicester City 2-0 just before the turn of the year, Guardiola’s side began 2025 by thrashing West Ham United 4-1 at the Etihad.

Erling Haaland scored twice on the day to take his total in the top flight to 16 for the season, while Phil Foden was also on the scoresheet for just the second time this campaign.

But while the scoreline evoked memories of the City of old, the performance once again left little to be desired, with the Sky Blues conceding chance after chance which, fortunately for them, West Ham wasted.

Speaking after the game, Guardiola conceded there is still much work to be done if his side are to return to the sort of form that saw them win four Premier League titles on the bounce.

“[Is] the old Manchester City and the way we play is back? No. You have to know it. You watched the games for years. We’re not at the level, come on. Of course there are an incredible lot of positives. But if you ask me the team is playing like it has played the years ago, no, absolutely not.”

Man City hold talks for Lens defender Khusanov

To help City get back to their old ways, Guardiola is reportedly looking to bolster his squad in the January transfer market, and, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, is keen on RC Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov. There were reports saying that City had joined the race for the player, and there has now been a development.

Romano has now claimed that City are holding active talks with the Ligue 1 side for the 20-year-old centre-back, who has impressed for the Blood and Gold this term.

Khusanov, who already has 18 caps for the Uzbekistan national team, has been described by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig as “an excellent” centre-back and “the future legend of Uzbek football.”

Lens head coach Will Still has also lauded Khusanov, saying of him earlier this season: “He’s calm, powerful, he’s fast. He doesn’t talk but he’s good. He has very, very impressive potential,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lens director Pierre Dreossi recently told DAZN, per the Mail Online, that Khusanov “will leave” the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in January, but that “there haven’t been any good bids yet.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s former agent, Jorge Mendes, has been put in charge of trying to sell Khusanov, and it looks as if a move to the Etihad will be one to watch.

What a tough season it has been so far for Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Old Gold find themselves 19th in the Premier League, which might be a shock to many including Phil McNulty, the chief football writer for BBC Sport. He said “I think Wolves can avoid danger” at the start of the season, but so far it is not working out like that.

It will be all change in the next few weeks too, after Gary O’Neil’s recent sacking. Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira is officially the new manager, and he has a lot of work to do to salvage the season.

With that in mind, here’s a look at Wolves’ dream lineup using Pereira’s favoured 3-4-3, with some potential January signings, too.

1 GK – Sam Johnstone

It has been a lean season so far for Wolves, conceding 40 goals, the most in the Premier League. Sam Johnstone and Jose Sa have battled it out for the gloves, with Sa being O’Neil’s preferred choice.

With that being said, Johnstone has conceded 17 goals in seven games in the top flight, which is made to seem far worse given he let in five in one game against Brentford. He averages fewer goals conceded per game than Sa, with 2.42 compared to 2.55. He could well get the nod.

2 RWB – Nelson Semedo

Newly appointed Wolves captain Nelson Semedo will surely be a key player under Pereira. It seems unlikely that his countryman will rock the boat further by removing the Portugal right-back’s captaincy.

From a defensive standpoint this term, the former Barcelona defender has been crucial. As per FBref, he has made the most clearances amongst Wolves players with 59, and the fourth most tackles and interceptions with 39. He is a crucial player.

3 CB – Craig Dawson

Experienced centre-back Craig Dawson had a moment to forget a few weeks ago during the clash against Everton. His two own goals contributed to half of the goals they conceded in a 4-0 win at Goodison Park.

His poor form meant O’Neil dropped him for his final two games in charge, but that did not make much of a difference for the Midlands club. It could be that Pereira could reinstate him, looking to lean on his experience.

4 CB – Ben Godfrey

The first of the two new potential signings in this hypothetical XI is former Everton man Ben Godfrey. According to the Daily Mail, the Old Gold are ‘understood to be among the clubs keen’ to sign him on loan, alongside the likes of Nottingham Forest.

The defender has been a bit-part player for an incredibly successful Atalanta side this season, who he joined in the summer from the Toffees. He would bring experience to the backline at Molineux, given he has played 112 times in the Premier League, exactly the sort of addition that could help keep them up.

5 CB – Toti Gomes

25-year-old Portuguese international Toti Gomes has been another important player for the Old Gold in 2024/25, despite their defensive frailties. He has made 14 Premier League appearances this term.

One thing the Wolves number 24 can bring to their defence is progression on the ball. This season, he has played 31 progressive passes, more than any other centre-back, with Dawson the second-highest on 19. Not only is he a solid defender, but a big asset if Pereira wishes to play out from the back.

6 LWB – Rayan Ait-Nouri

Rayan Ait-Nouri has been one of the only players who have performed to a high level for the Old Gold this term. He is yet to miss a top-flight game, although will be banned for their next outing in the Premier League.

The Algerian left wing-back has been flying up and down the flank for O’Neil this season, and his three goals and three assists so far show what kind of impact he can have. There are question marks over his future at the club, with Manchester United linked with a £60m move as per GiveMeSport. However, Pereira would be no doubt desperate to keep him at the club.

7 CM – Andre

It has been a tough start to life in the Midlands for summer signing Andre. He has played 12 times in the top flight but has not been a first choice in the middle of the park, featuring for just 733 minutes in total.

However, it seems like Pereira might back him given the new manager’s experience in the midfielder’s native Brazil. Having managed Corinthians and Flamengo, he will have faced the former Fluminense man before and will know the quality he has to offer.

8 CM – Joao Gomes

Andre’s midfield partner could well be another Brazilian, Joao Gomes. He was a mainstay in the Old Gold midfield this campaign until the most recent game against Ipswich Town, playing in 15 from 16 games.

Gomes’ ability in the middle of the park to win the ball back is vital for the Molineux side. He has made 80 ball recoveries this season, more than any of his teammates, and has also completed 60 tackles and interceptions so far. His work rate without the ball will be crucial for Pereira.

9 AM – Miguel Almiron

The second of the potential new signings for the Old Gold in January is Miguel Almiron. According to The Sun, the Newcastle United winger is of interest to Wolves on loan, with Leicester City and Crystal Palace also keen.

The attacker, who earns £60k-per-week at St James’ Park, could slot into the side as a number 10 or a false winger, replacing former club captain Mario Lemina in the side.

He hasn’t played much this season, but is a proven goalscorer in the Premier League, scoring 11 times in the 2022/23 season.

10 AM – Matheus Cunha

People are running out of superlatives for Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha. He has been sublime for the Midlands club again this term, with eight goals and three assists. That includes two goals and one assist in Wolves’ second win of the season against Fulham.

Everything good that has happened for the Old Gold has more than likely been because of Cunha. He makes things happen and has the highest number of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes amongst teammates who average five full games or more, with 3.91.

Zimbabwe have left out as many as seven players from the recent T20I squad that played against Namibia

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2022Zimbabwe have left out as many as seven players who featured in the contingent that recently played against Namibia while naming their T20I squad for the upcoming T20Is against Afghanistan. The omissions include those of Tanaka Chivanga, Brad Evans, Victor Nyauchi, Ernest Masuku, Richmond Mutumbami, Tony Munyonga, and Brandon Mavuta.In their place, the selectors have picked Clive Madande, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers and Ainsley Ndlovu. Those four were part of the just concluded ODIs against Afghanistan, but only Muzarabani and Myers got games.While Madande is uncapped in international cricket and toured Nepal last month with the Zimbabwe A squad, Ndlovu has played international cricket in all three formats but has not represented Zimbabwe since February 2020. His last T20I was in September 2019 in a tri-series involving Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Muzarabani’s last T20I came in September 2021, after which he played in the PSL for Multan Sultans and was picked as a net bowler by Lucknow Super Giants in the recent IPL. He was Zimbabwe’s highest wicket-taker in the recent ODIs, with seven wickets from three games.The three T20Is will be played in Harare on June 11, 12 and 14.T20I squad: Craig Ervine (capt), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Ainsley Ndlovu, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Donald Tiripano.

Akeal Hosein hit a rapid 60, while Nicholas Pooran surprisingly got four wickets, but visitors fell short in the end

Danyal Rasool12-Jun-2022

Shadab Khan hit 86 with the bat, and took four wickets with the ball•PCB

48 overs Pakistan 269 for 9 (Shadab 86, Imam 62, Pooran 4-48) beat West Indies 216 (Hosein 60, Shadab 4-62, Hasan 2-29) by 53 runsA sensational all-round performance from Shadab Khan sealed a commanding 53-run win for Pakistan, and a 3-0 series win to give their World Cup qualification hopes a major fillip. The 23-year old came in with the hosts in a spot of bother at 117 for 5, serving as both anchor and slogger through various stages of the second half of the innings, before a four-wicket haul with the ball brought the visitors down.The 269 that Pakistan put up in the first innings might briefly have seemed like a few runs short when West Indies began brightly, but in the absence of in-form middle-order batters to shepherd the innings through, they found the Pakistan bowlers a touch too good to handle.For once, Pakistan lost the top order early despite an 85-run opening stand between Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq. It thrust significant responsibility on the middle order, with Shadab Khan stepping up to the mark, as his 78-ball 86 helped Pakistan to a defensible 269.West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran was the surprise architect of the hosts’ middle-order collapse, getting significant spin and bounce as his first four ODI wickets left Pakistan tottering at 117 for 5. The game was also suspended by an unexpected dust storm on a hot day in Multan, leading two overs being sliced off the contest.Pakistan chose to bat first, with a more cautious Zaman prioritising time at the crease over his trademark truculence. The first third of the innings was spent with the two turning the strike over and minimising risk, and aside from an early drop from Shai Hope that reprieved Imam, the openers looked fairly comfortable.Pooran, who had before today bowled just three balls in ODI cricket, brought himself on, and in his third over, yorked Fakhar to provide his side the breakthrough. Following that, Hayden Walsh Jnr stunned Multan next over by trapping Babar Azam in front, with a successful West Indian review sending him back for 1.Three further quickfire strikes from Pooran – including two in three balls – dismissed Imam, Haris and Mohammad Rizwan, as Pakistan suddenly looked vulnerable to being bowled out early.But Shadab and Khushdil Shah strung together an 84-run partnership, coming either side of a dust storm that briefly reduced visibility at the ground to almost none. When the players returned, the sixth-wicket pair upped the tempo, and though Khushdil never quite moved into top gear as he is so lethally capable of, it was Shadab who was having the more telling impact on the innings.Akeal Hosein tried to keep West Indies alive, before Shadab had him stumped•PCB

And when Akeal Hosein breached Khushdil’s defences, the responsibility on Shadab only rose; and so did he to the occasion.He brought up his half-century the following over, shepherding the strike with the responsibility of a frontline batter and the artistry of a modern death-overs game management specialist. Shadab found regular boundaries, and for a brief time, might have entertained thoughts of a maiden international hundred before a perfect yorker breached his defence as he tried to lap it over fine leg.However, by then he had 86, and against a West Indies batting line-up reeling from the second game, Pakistan took momentum with them at the halfway mark.In the absence of Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan’s new-ball attack carried an intrigue in itself, and debutant Shahnawaz Dahani swiftly delivered. After a breezy start from West Indies, Dahani drew Kyle Mayers into a slash that found Imam at point. Soon after, Shamarh Brooks was coaxed into chopping one on to his stumps.At the other end, the luckless Hasan Ali took a wicket, only for the third umpire to find he had overstepped. But he wouldn’t be denied for long. A hook from Shai Hope found Khushdil sprinting across the boundary to pluck one out of thin air, giving Hasan a wicket his confidence sorely needed.West Indies had a few partnerships midway, but Pakistan kept stubbing them out before they became any kind of menace. Shadab was the chief architect of this kind of preemptive strike. Keacy Carty was undone by a gem of a legspinner that Mohammad Haris behind the stumps was quick to react to, catching the batter out of his crease, while a loose shot from Rovman Powell found Zaman at long-off.The only reason Pakistan might have had to put their victory celebrations on hold was a feisty counterattack from Hosein, who breathed some hope into the West Indies camp when he smashed Mohammad Nawaz for two sixes in an over.Shadab was smashed for one too off the first ball of the next, but he wouldn’t be kept quiet for long, coming back to deceive him with a wrong’un, with Haris reacting sharply behind the stumps once more to whip the bails off.That knocked the stuffing out of the West Indies side, who, despite enjoying plenty of success in phases of play this series, never really did enough to merit an outright win on the tour. Pakistan managed to cash out in the heat, while with World Cup qualification becoming an uphill task, West Indies found themselves left out in the cold in Multan.

Tour starts with first ODI on July 10, with Santner due to take over as captain for T20Is against Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2022New Zealand allrounder Mitchell Santner tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, and did not fly out to Ireland with the rest of the squad on Sunday evening from Auckland. His departure will be delayed until next week, once he recovers and tests negative.The tour starts with the first ODI on July 10, and Santner will aim to join the squad before taking over as captain for the T20Is against Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands.Related

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“Covid has been a challenge, and will continue to be in the future, and we will adapt accordingly. Contingencies are always in place,” Shane Jurgensen, New Zealand’s head coach for the Ireland tour, said. “He’s feeling okay, and the priority will be getting him into camp with us hopefully later in the week to assess where he’s at and when he may be ready to play.”We’ve got 11 games across the three tours and another tour to follow against the West Indies in August, which Mitch will be involved with, so we certainly won’t be looking to rush him.”The three ODIs will be played in Malahide on July 10, 12 and 15, followed by the T20Is in Belfast on July 18, 20 and 22. The squads will then fly out to Scotland for two T20Is and an ODI at the end of the month before two more T20Is in the Netherlands in the first week of August.”It’s a place we don’t tour very often, and it’s been on the radar for a while,” legspinner Ish Sodhi said before departure at the Auckland airport. “Really excited to get over there and see what cricket’s like there. I’ve been there a couple of times for some brief stints, but for an extended period it’s going to be enjoyable.”After a gap of just five days, the New Zealand contingent will fly out to the Caribbean for the three T20Is and as many ODIs starting August 11 in Kingston.ODI squad for Ireland: Tom Latham (capt & wk), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Dane Cleaver (wk), Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will YoungSquad for Ireland T20Is, Scotland and the Netherlands series: Mitchell Santner (capt), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rippon, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner