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Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin still has plenty to think about before the summer transfer window officially slams shut at the start of next month.

RangersReview recently reported that Jefte is closing in on a move to Brazilian side Palmeiras for a fee of £6m, just 12 months on from his £800k transfer from Fluminense.

This means that the Light Blues are poised to make a significant profit on the 21-year-old left-back, who started 30 of the club’s 38 matches in the Scottish Premiership during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

It also means, though, that Rangers will be light in the left-back department, as Ridvan Yilmaz has not featured in any of the club’s matchday squads this season.

Rangers hopeful of signing new left-back

This means that Max Aarons, a right-footed left-back, will be the only senior left-back option available, given Yilmaz’s exclusion from the team, once Jefte’s move is completed.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Rangers have been linked with a loan interest in Brentford left-back Jayden Meghoma, and Russell Martin is hopeful that a deal can be done for the defender.

The Gers head coach said: “So Jay (Meghoma) is a player we know from Southampton, spent a year with us as a young boy, training every day, understands the work, top talent, plays for England at all the youth levels.”

“Brentford signed him for a lot of money for a teenager, and he went on loan last year and to the Championship did really well, so he’s a player we know and like. Hopefully, at some point, he’ll be a Rangers player and you’ll know that when he is.”

What Jayden Meghoma can bring to Rangers

The 19-year-old defender, who was signed for £10m by the Bees last year, could be a dream for Djeidi Gassama down the left flank with the way that he likes to bomb forward.

Since signing from Sheffield Wednesday, Gassama has been a hit with the Gers supporters. The 21-year-old forward has scored four goals in six matches in all competitions, per Sofascore, to prove himself to be a big threat at the top end of the pitch.

Instead of having a right-footed player in Aarons failing to provide much support on the overlap, the Frenchman will surely love to have a naturally left-footed, attack-minded, full-back in Meghoma to support him.

24/25 Championship

Jayden Meghoma per 90

Percentile rank vs full-backs

xAG

0.09

Top 27%

Assists

0.12

Top 21%

Shot-creating actions (defensive action)

0.12

Top 5%

Goal-creating actions

0.35

Top 6%

Percentage of dribblers tackled

76.9%

Top 8%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Meghoma showed signs of promise as an attacking force on loan at Preston North End in the Championship last term, ranking highly in creating chances for his teammates.

Interestingly, he ranked highly for tackling dribblers and creating shots for his team through defensive actions. This suggests that he excels at winning the ball back on the flank and then playing the ball forward to start moves that end up with shots at goal.

Gassama could, therefore, benefit from having the aggressive full-back behind him because his pace on the counter-attack could make the most of the attacks that the teenage defender has the potential to create.

Meghoma, who was described as “fast” and “tricky” by Paul Heckingbottom, could also be a shrewd addition to the team because he worked with Martin during their time together at Southampton, which means that he already knows how the manager works and wants to play.

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The England U19 international could use that experience to hit the ground running as a replacement for Jefte at Ibrox, whilst also having the potential to be a dream for Gassama down the left flank.

Former Barcelona midfielder Unai Hernandez is set to leave Al-Ittihad to join Al-Shabab on loan, just seven months after his Saudi Pro League arrival.

• Ex-Barca star to leave Al-Ittihad
• Loan move to Al-Shabab confirmed
• No purchase option in deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , former Barcelona Atletic captain Unai Hernandez is leaving Al-Ittihad just seven months after joining the Saudi champions. The 20-year-old midfielder, who arrived in January in a €5 million deal, had been eager to establish himself in the Middle East but found playing time limited under Laurent Blanc. Despite scoring his first goal last season and helping Al-Ittihad secure a league and cup double, Hernandez has now agreed to join Al-Shabab on loan.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While the Tigers were reluctant to lose Hernandez permanently, Al-Shabab were quick to pounce after new boss Imanol Alguacil personally requested him. The midfielder is expected to play a creative role as a No. 10, giving him the platform for more minutes and a bigger role than he enjoyed in Jeddah. Hernandez featured nine times in the Saudi Pro League last season, starting seven of those matches, but was left out of the squad for the opening match of the new season.

• TELL ME MORE…

  Al-Shabab initially wanted to include a purchase option in the deal, but Al-Ittihad refused. The Jeddah side even pushed for a January return clause before ultimately settling on a straightforward season-long loan without buy-out options.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Hernandez will spend the new season at Al-Shabab, where he is expected to feature heavily under Alguacil. For Al-Ittihad, the loan ensures their young talent gains experience without closing the door on his long-term future in Jeddah. The Spanish midfielder’s performances in Riyadh will ultimately decide whether he returns to fight for a place or paves the way for a permanent switch down the line.

WA quick will play in Australia’s 50-over domestic competition to start the summer but is waiting to be cleared to play red-ball cricket after a slow recovery from a back injury

Tristan Lavalette10-Sep-2024Emerging quick Lance Morris admits it’s been “frustrating” working his way through another rehab from a back injury, but hopes a cautious approach will prove beneficial as he earmarks playing in the Sheffield Shield ahead of Australia’s Test series against India this summer.The 26-year-old has not played since the ODI series against West Indies in February. After making his international debut in the series opener, Morris claimed two early wickets in the third match in Canberra before suffering a side strain which ended his season.Morris had been due to line-up for Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket before post-season scans showed a hot spot in his back and he wasn’t considered for Australia’s current tour of Scotland and England. It was a recurrence of the injury that ruled the West Australian paceman out of the Ashes tour in 2023.Related

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“It’s been a bit frustrating,” Morris told ESPNcricinfo. “I guess you call it a stress fracture, but when we scan it, it doesn’t have the natural characteristics of a usual stress fracture. So there was some confusion at first around exactly what it was.”The tricky one for me was I didn’t actually have any back pain when I was bowling. I get monthly check-ins with an MRI on my back to make sure things are heading in the right direction. And it’s been clearing up… healing, so that’s a positive.”While he maintained his fitness levels through running and regular gym, Morris was unable to do any skills work for around eight weeks.”Frustrating to have to stop for a couple of months. I’m at that stage in my career with a Cricket Australia contract….it’s a transition into a 12-month cricketer,” he said.”I was continually preparing to go [to MLC], but never managed to get over there.”But the silver lining is I’ve stayed fit and I feel stronger than ever. Whereas if I ignored it and cracked on with things, there’s every likelihood that I would spend 12 months on the sidelines.”Lance Morris suffered a left side strain in his second ODI in February•Getty ImagesDubbed ‘The Wild Thing’ – in a nod to former tearaway Shaun Tait – Morris garnered considerable attention for his ability to bowl over 150kph. Regarded as arguably the fastest bowler in Australia, he became an enforcer for Western Australia on bouncy WACA decks and rose to the fringes of Australia’s Test team over the past couple of seasons.Having slowly built up his bowling loads, Morris had been left wondering whether he could reach maximum speed again until going “full tilt” in recent weeks restored his confidence.”The tricky thing with loading up really slowly is that you have restrictions on the pace you can bowl at different intervals,” he said. “You sort of wonder how you’re going to get back up to top speed.”But over the last couple of weeks, it’s been basically shackles off. It’s been nice to let the ball go.”Morris is set to make his return through Australia’s domestic 50-over competition starting later this month before eyeing a red-ball comeback in the Sheffield Shield. Three-time defending champions Western Australia start their Shield season against Queensland at the WACA on October 8.”Conversations so far… basically it’s ok to start playing one-day cricket, so [I might play] one of the first two white-ball games,” Morris said with WA opening the One-Day competition against New South Wales on September 22 before playing South Australia two days later.”There will be a little bit of a process in building up and getting ready for Shield cricket. But I think all going well, I should be available for round one or round two. I’m not too sure exactly yet, but we’re not far off.”There are four rounds of the Shield before the first Test in Perth. A solid base of competitive cricket might propel Morris into the mix with concerns over Australia’s depth behind incumbent pace trio Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.”I have no expectations at all. But if the opportunity does arise, hopefully I can jump on it with both hands,” Morris said of his Test prospects. “Fingers crossed I can stay on the park this season because I think there could be a few opportunities that arise.”Liam Haskett will miss the first half of WA’s season with a back injury•Getty ImagesMeanwhile, WA left-arm quick Liam Haskett is set to miss the first half of the Sheffield Shield season as he recovers from a stress fracture in his back.Post-season scans confirmed a recurrence of an injury Haskett suffered a few years ago. The towering six-foot seven-inch paceman emerged during a breakout debut season when he claimed 20 wickets at 24.75 from six Shield matches. Haskett, 23, starred in the final round with six wickets against Victoria at the Junction Oval, but missed the Shield final against Tasmania due to a heel injury.”A rough timeline would be getting back towards the end of November-early December, but that could change with a scan result,” Haskett told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s frustrating coming off the season I had, but we’ll keep working towards getting back on the field around the middle part of the season.”

Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali helped secure Pakistan’s spot in the semi-finals of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 with their second straight century stand, sealing the first ever ten-wicket win in the tournament’s history. Pakistan’s spinners, who took seven of the eight wickets to fall, set up the ten-wicket thumping of UAE in Dambulla.Sadia Iqbal was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 11 at an economy of 2.75. Nashra Sandhu and Tuba Hassan contributed with two-fors, the former taking the first two wickets after UAE’s openers made their way out of the powerplay and the latter dismissing Theertha Satish.UAE scrapped their way to 103 for 8 but Muneeba and Feroza hunted the total down with 35 balls to spare. As a result, UAE ended their campaign with three losses.

Feroza, Muneeba’s scratchy start

Feroza bagged the Player-of-the-Match award in successive games, backing up the 57 against Nepal with an unbeaten 62 against UAE. She could’ve been out first ball but an edged cut off Samaira Dharnidharka flew between the wicketkeeper, who initially moved in the wrong direction, and first slip.Her edgy start continued with another streaky boundary in the following over from Kavisha Egodage. But it came after she middled a lap sweep. That got Feroza up and running.Muneeba Ali overcame a scratchy start•Asian Cricket Council

Muneeba found her first slice of luck against Heena Hotchandani in the fourth over with UAE captain, Esha Oza, dropping a catch off the leading edge. More notably, she charged down and got beaten in the flight by Hotchandani in the following over and almost did a full split trying to slide back into the crease. While it looked like she hadn’t made it back, the third umpire, after a few replays, gave it not out.Pakistan ended the powerplay on 42 for 0, with the asking rate under 4.5.

Pakistan pick up pace to hasten the end

The pressure was further dissipated in Vaishnave Mahesh’s opening over which offered seven extras – three byes and four wides – and Feroza used the width to pick up a boundary and a two. Muneeba picked up two boundaries off the front foot off offspinner Suraksha Kotte as Pakistan started hurrying towards victory.Feroza brought up a 46-ball fifty by punishing a short and wide ball from Hotchandani. The duo did it in ones and twos from there on until Muneeba got a streaky boundary to finish the game.

UAE start slow with the bat

Nida Dar had won the toss earlier and put UAE in. Oza, who would have done the same, started the match with a boundary but couldn’t get going. She faced the first two overs, got beaten twice and could add only three more runs. Theertha got a couple of powerplay boundaries, but like Oza, soaked up dots as UAE made 24 for 0 in the first six.Oza saw Sandhu’s introduction as an opportunity to go big, but she miscued three shots and the fourth one – a swipe across the line – was taken by Aliya Riaz running back from mid-off. Sandhu struck in her next over, courtesy of another brilliant catch as Sidra Amin ran to the right from long-on and took a low, sliding catch to dismiss Rinitha Rajith.Sadia Iqbal was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers•Asian Cricket Council

Dar brought herself on after Theertha chanced her arm and picked up eight runs off Sandhu. With her first ball, Dar trapped Egodage but Theertha hit her for two boundaries in the space of two overs. Khushi Sharma then got a couple of twos to take the run rate up to five for the first time since the first over.Tuba and Iqbal came back on with extra pace after Sandhu bowled out, which led to a wicket in each of the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th overs. It started with the well-set Theertha chopping a pull on to her stumps. UAE’s lower order took them over 100 with a theme that underscored the entire innings.

UAE’s frenetic running, Pakistan’s sloppy ground fielding

The first instance came in the eighth over when Theertha tried to sneak a single to point. Not only did Riaz not pick up the ball, but also she fumbled to allow the second run.In the next over, another hurried single to point was completed with the fielder there inadvertently kicking the ball while trying to pick it up. Three balls later, Egodage, who had just come in, got off the mark with a risky single to midwicket as the fielder missed the direct hit.UAE’s regular loss of wickets led to further chaotic running in the back half of the innings. Khushi turned one into two in the 15th over as the fielder at deep midwicket waited for the ball rather than running towards it. Dharnidharka survived a freak run-out, but only just, as the throw from long-on deflected off her body onto the stumps.The last three overs had three more missed chances, including on the final ball of the innings on which the throw was wide of the bowler. Pakistan’s catching, on the other hand, was on point and they’ll hope for more of that with a spot in the knockouts theirs.

After missing out on the treble following defeat against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final, Celtic have reportedly made their first move to sign a 17-year-old wonderkid this summer.

Rodgers reacts to Aberdeen defeat

Taking charge of his 11th final in his career, Brendan Rodgers would have been hoping to see his side secure a domestic treble against Aberdeen to end their season. Their opponents had other ideas, however, and went onto hand the Celtic boss his first defeat in a final at his 11th attempt and caused a major upset.

It’s a human side of the Bhoys that the Scottish Premiership rarely saw throughout the season, but Aberdeen proved that it does exist. With that side of their game exposed too, Celtic will be desperate to double down on their dominance by retaining their crown once again next season.

Rodgers had his say on his side’s Scottish Cup final defeat, telling reporters: “This is a team that’s given me so much with their honesty and quality of their football. There’s been so many times when I’d sat in here and it’s been different. I’ve had 11 finals up here and down in England and this is my first loss.

“You have to accept that. It’s part of sport and part of football. And as long as you can look at it and reflect honestly then we can say we weren’t good enough in our quality. We’ve got no one else to blame.

“Domestically, we set out to win the league, the League Cup and the Scottish Cup and we were one game from doing that. But this shows you how challenging and how hard it is.”

Away from the pitch, meanwhile, the Scottish champions have already shifted their focus towards the summer transfer window and signing a 17-year-old wonderkid for Rodgers.

Celtic make first offer in Milosavljevic race

According to Meridian Sport in Serbia, as relayed by The Daily Record, Celtic submitted their first offer to sign Veljko Milosavljevic and have since had that offer knocked back by Red Star, who are demanding as much as €10m (£8.4m) to sell their wonderkid this summer.

The 17-year-old defender is quite rightly their prized asset and if the Bhoys want to secure his signature, it looks as though they’ll have to pay a hefty fee.

Still a teenager, Milosavljevic is already making his mark on senior football. For Red Star this season, he has started eight games in the Super Liga Srbije, whilst also making the bench for his side’s Champions League games against PSV Eindhoven and BSC Young Boys.

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Whilst he wouldn’t necessarily be granted the same opportunities from the off at Celtic, he could eventually grow into a key part of Rodgers’ side. As impressive as the teenager has been, it’s a positive that his best work is still a long way away.

Signing such impressive young players represents how Celtic could maintain their Scottish dominance and more this summer, starting with Red Star wonderkid Milosavljevic in the forthcoming transfer window.

Jay Stansfield might well have lost out on the honour of the League One golden boot, but his blistering 19 strikes in league action were vital in helping Birmingham City stroll to the title on a mammoth 111 points.

There was also Alfie May at Chris Davies’ disposal to gift the Blues even more firepower, seen in the ex-Charlton Athletic centre-forward chipping in with 16 league strikes of his own.

But, Birmingham won’t be content just sticking by Stansfield and May ahead of Championship football returning to St. Andrew’s, with Che Adams’ name continuing to pop up as a statement recruit in attack.

Birmingham's ongoing hunt for Adams

Late last month, it was revealed that Birmingham were keen on bringing Adams back to the West Midlands to gain a second-tier ready striker.

After all, Stansfield and May have predominantly plied their trade outside of the EFL’s division, with the ex-Fulham man only experiencing one season at the level when he was initially on loan with the Blues.

On the contrary, Adams’ main bread and butter lies in the unpredictable league, with the Scotland international boasting 49 goals at the intimidating level across his varied career to date.

But, there is another target now rumoured to be on Birmingham’s agenda who has also proven himself to be potent finisher at the level in the past and above, who could well be viewed as an upgrade on their former number nine subsequently.

Birminham could sign a bigger talent than Adams

Whilst Adams has been able to reach milestones such as scoring 100 overall career goals, there is one other target Birmingham should prioritise over landing their ex-attacker to show they really mean business.

This would come in the form of signing Danny Ings, with a report by journalist Graeme Bailey late last week revealing that the departing West Ham United striker is wanted by the newly promoted side as they aim to take the Championship by storm, alongside catching the eye of an equally eager Wrexham.

Although the 32-year-old is now very much deep into the twilight years of his playing days, he should still be able to slot into Davies’ XI and transform back into a goal machine, considering the well-travelled veteran has shown off his goalscoring prowess for various teams.

Indeed, his most prolific spell as a feared attacker came on the books of Southampton, where he rifled home a mightily impressive 46 strikes from a century of appearances. To add context, Adams would only help himself to a further two goals during his own time on the South Coast, even from a far heftier 198 contests.

Adams might well be able to brag that he has more career goals in the Championship – with Ings only on 27 next to the Scotsman’s 49 – but the 27 strikes the 32-year-old has tallied up in the second tier isn’t a weak amount by any means, considering he has only ever played three campaigns at the level.

Instead, the three-time England international has regularly terrorised Premier League defences when injury-free, meaning he would be able to come in and bring a sense of authority to proceedings alongside Stansfield and May.

After all, it’s not as if Ings has been labelled as “clinical” – as he was lauded by journalist Leanne Prescott previously – by fluke, with the ageing attacker no doubt wanting to see out his long career with a bang by showing there’s life in him still at St. Andrew’s.

Of course, everyone with connections to Birmingham would want to see Adams return purely to finish off his Blues tale.

But, if Ings is also available on a free, taking a gamble on the 5 foot 10 striker to come good might well pay off more instead.

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Chelsea have now hatched a plan to win the race for a “powerful” Paris Saint-Germain player, amid rival interest from fellow Premier League clubs, according to a report.

Blues stockpiling talented youngsters

Under BlueCo ownership, Chelsea have implemented a model of buying talented youngsters before shipping them out on loan to sister club Strasbourg or elsewhere, and it looks as though they are set to adopt a similar strategy in the summer transfer window.

The Blues have already sealed deals for Sporting CP duo Dario Essugo and Geovany Quenda, with the latter recently helping the Portuguese side clinch the Liga Portugal title on a dramatic final day.

Essugo, on the other hand, has spent the current campaign on loan at Las Palmas, whose relegation from La Liga has now been confirmed, but Chelsea will be happy their new signing has gained some experience in a major league, having made 25 league appearances this term.

Quenda is set to spend the 2025/26 season on loan at Sporting, while a number of other youngsters could follow a similar route to the likes of Djordje Petrovic, Andrey Santos and Diego Moreira by joining fellow BlueCo-owned club Strasbourg to develop their game.

According to a report from Sports Zone (via Sport Witness), that is exactly the future plan for Paris Saint-Germain defender Axel Tape, should Chelsea be able to lure the 17-year-old to Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window.

The west Londoners are said to value Tape highly, and they have now hatched a plan to beat their Premier League rivals to his signature, with two other unnamed English clubs in the race for the youngster, who is set to be available on a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract.

Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen are in pole position for the defender as things stand, however, with the teenager planning to leave PSG this summer, despite the French club’s eagerness to keep hold of him.

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Given his age, the Frenchman is yet to make a real name for himself at first-team level, featuring just twice in Ligue 1 during the 2024-25 campaign, but there are indications that he could go on to achieve big things.

Football scout Ben Mattinson singled out the starlet for praise on X back in April, saying: “When at CB, he’ll make powerful marauding runs through the middle third to break through the press.”

Mattinson also goes on to describe the PSG ace as “physically strong in duels” and a “progressive passer through the lines”, so there are clear signs that he could be a well-rounded modern-day centre-back.

As such, Tape could be an exciting long-term addition to the squad, but Chelsea should also look to bring in a centre-back capable of immediately slotting into the starting XI this summer, with Axel Disasi in talks to join Aston Villa.

Bumrah, Afridi, Pathirana, Mustafizur and many, many more: has the region’s pace stocks collectively ever burned brighter before?

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Jun-2024In decades gone by, this article, a stock-take of South Asia’s pace-bowling output, would have started with Pakistan, cast a sympathetic eye towards India, skimmed patronisingly over Sri Lanka, made little mention of Bangladesh, no mention of Afghanistan, then returned swiftly to the high-octane, long-hair-blowing-in-the-breeze, bursting-through-the-tv-screen-into-our-fantasies world of Pakistan fast bowling.Other teams might have had the occasional great fast bowler, but Pakistan had Sarfraz Nawaz, then Imran Khan, then Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, and then Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, so really one of the richest bloodlines in the sport.They have still got it, of course. Pakistan are still the South Asian home of the fast bowler of the ancient scriptures – tall, fast, muscular, with strong wrists, braced front legs, raining down late movement, and blowing imaginations upon squalls of attitude. But the region’s other teams have begun to set up what could be production lines of their own. They haven’t followed Pakistan’s lead, exactly – they have other things that work.Related

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Often, they’ve dabbled in fast-bowling heresy.No story ties together the many forces that have raised the fast-bowling temperature of the region than that of Jasprit Bumrah, the best all-format operator around. In his earliest years, he was taken with the bowling of the greats of the age – Brett Lee and Allan Donald, yes, but also Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib. It is no surprise that the yorker was among the first deliveries Bumrah perfected.And yet his own action, an amalgam of his idols’, was so spectacularly heretical, it took an IPL franchise to properly propel him into the stratosphere, then Mumbai Indians coach John Wright pulling the strings to have him yanked to MI HQ.Once there, another fillip to his rise: meeting and bowling alongside Lasith Malinga, the godfather of modern fast-bowling heresy basically. Malinga, not big on Hindi, almost as modest in English, conveyed to Bumrah through their shared love for the craft, the value of ego-free fast bowling. “I used to do stupid things in front of batsmen, I could go and say anything,” Bumrah once told . “But as I played with Malinga, I realised the calmer you are, the better you are. Because at that time your brain starts to work.”Shaheen Afridi, Jasprit Bumrah, and Haris Rauf will all have points to prove over the next month•Getty ImagesWhere spitting invective at batters was once a fast bowling trope, now using every second available to set the cogs in your brain whirring is an increasingly prized virtue in T20s. What does the team require right now? Where does this batter tend to hit? Which balls am I good at executing? What should the field be? Is now the time to confound the batter’s expectation? Bowling overs 16-20 in a T20 might be the most cerebral work in cricket right now, and increasingly this is becoming a space that is dominated by quicks – of thinking, that is.Sri Lanka perhaps has the loudest echoes of the Bumrah story. Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara grew up watching Malinga, fashioned heretical actions that emphasised aspects of Malinga – Pathirana the pace, Thushara the early swing. They have at various points been tutored by him too.Thushara and Pathirana also have franchise cricket to thank for their rise, Pathirana getting an early gig with Chennai Super Kings, and Thushara performing in the Abu Dhabi T10 before getting a long run in the Sri Lanka side. An international hat-trick and a stint at Mumbai Indians followed.Sri Lanka’s cricket establishment has long prided itself on embracing the unorthodox, but not so for Bangladesh of the past. Not until Mustafizur Rahman burst through, first exhibiting rapid left-arm pace (is there a more prized regional trait?), before later picking up the cutters that would define him. Mustafizur has been through several phases in his career already, but the latest is his rejuvenation, which – here’s a familiar refrain – CSK has been responsible for, with MS Dhoni sowing into his craft, as Dhoni has for Pathirana.In the past few years, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have also shared a commitment towards developing fast-bowling talent after the latter half of both their 2010s, saw them investing in spin. In Sri Lanka, Chris Silverwood has been influential in building up a fast-bowling battery. In Bangladesh, Ottis Gibson has helped Taskin Ahmed rediscover himself, while the likes of Shoriful Islam, have come along under him as well.Fazalhaq Farooqi can be dangerous when looking for swing early in an innings•AFP/Getty ImagesThere are bowlers who don’t quite fit the narrative. Dushmantha Chameera is a straight-up-and-down orthodox operator who happens to bowl fast. Dilshan Madushanka, discovered through a talent search in the provinces, bowling left-arm inswingers at a rapid pace, has an origin story that could be more or less be transplanted from Pakistan.In India, they have a vast system now – proper pathways featuring scouts, academies, and a surfeit of opportunities through which to hone your game at the higher levels. There are domestic tournaments, the IPL, and when you break through into the India side, so many matches on offer that they are almost certainly the most-exposed team in the world. Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami have benefited from this. Others like Mayank Yadav are pounding down doors.It could only be a matter of time before Mayank Yadav pounds down the India door•AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan themselves have Haris Rauf – a franchise find. But then also Shaheen Shah Afridi, the reigning king of their pace attack, though he very much now has to fend off advances from the prince, Naseem Shah, that famed Pakistan fast-bowling frenemy vibe now seemingly developing. Shaheen has the numbers and the record, and is a spectacle on the field; Naseem has the old-school romance in his action, and a firestarter vibe, which in the context of Pakistan bowling is about as celebrated as vibes come.Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi, by the way, has outstanding figures too, particularly when he looks for swing early in an innings, and then goes for the yorker at the death. When bowling fuller lengths, his economy rate of 7.51, is the best for any bowler since 2021 in T20s. Between him and Naveen Ul Haq, Afghanistan too have a seam-bowling set up of note, even if Rashid Khan’s spin remains the headline act.All told, it is difficult to escape this conclusion: South Asia’s fast-bowling talents have never, collectively, burned brighter. In T20s in particular, South Asia’s quicks have substantially broadened definitions of what a successful fast bowler looks like, and what roads they might tread to get so good.

The portents from their Test and ODI decline suggest the way back might not be quite as straightforward

Danyal Rasool21-Oct-2022Ireland had nearly walked off the field before Odean Smith stopped glaring at Chris Gaffney. Mark Adair’s wide yorker, the last ball of the West Indies innings, had landed well outside the tramline, but the umpire believed Smith had moved across enough to not call it a wide. Smith likely had a point, and looked West Indies’ best batter of the innings.But any amends Smith could make off one delivery would have been miniscule compared to the damage already inflicted through most of the innings. In the first powerplay, West Indies had nudged and nurdled their way to 41- for 2. Against Scotland in the previous game, Ireland had faced some criticism for the bowling options they went with at the death, and a quick West Indian start would have given Andy Balbirnie a headache he didn’t need. Instead, there were 16 dot balls in the first five overs with only five boundaries, and 16 of the 32 they had scored until then came off a wayward Curtis Campher over.Related

• Ponting calls West Indies' early exit a 'disgrace'

• Skerritt blames batters in scathing attack after West Indies' T20 World Cup exit

• Alzarri Joseph raises his game, and pace, to give WI's World Cup hopes a shot in the arm

• Ireland knock out West Indies with commanding victory

• Stirling's World Cup best puts battle-hardened Ireland in uncharted territory

It wasn’t the only thing West Indies have done wrong, but Ireland’s approach during the fielding restrictions threw it into sharp focus. Chasing a middling total, they might have been forgiven for not knowing whether to stick or twist. But even Ireland, who lost 9 of 12 T20Is in the summer, and only stayed alive in the tournament thanks to one sensational partnership on Wednesday, highlighted the value of making the most of the powerplay. Ireland would smash six fours and four sixes in the first six overs. The 64 they flew to by that time had taken West Indies a full nine overs to reach. Ireland maintained the three-over advantage till the end, coasting to victory with 15 balls to spare.Since Carlos Brathwaite launched Ben Stokes four times on Kolkata night, West Indies have lost six of the eight matches they have played in T20 World Cups. And it’s this Hobart hammering that makes you suddenly realise how long ago that was. This West Indies side is a mere shadow of that one, and not merely because six years have lapsed. Over the course of three hours, Ireland systematically ripped away whatever little aura West Indies could still lay claim to, leaving them exposed to the disorganised shambles they now are in.The overcorrection following a haphazard, frenetic batting performance against Zimbabwe might not have helped matters, but it didn’t make the decision-making with the ball any less perplexing. Against Zimbabwe, Nicholas Pooran had held Alzarri Joseph, West Indies’ best bowler, back until the third over. By the time he was introduced, Zimbabwe had flown to 28 without loss. In defence of an even lower total against Ireland, West Indies refused to pay heed to the warning signs, only turning to Joseph after 16 came off the previous over.If the way Joseph was managed was questionable, Holder’s complete non-use in the powerplay felt even more dubious. The former West Indian captain boasts a respectable T20I powerplay record, giving away runs at 7.92 per over while the field is up. Pooran would turn to Smith in the fourth over instead, whose economy rate in the powerplay is 11.18. The first three balls? Four, six, four.West Indies have repeatedly dismissed the suggestion they need more spin options in their attack, even as spin crippled them through the middle overs against each of Scotland, Zimbabwe and Ireland. West Indies instead conspicuously left legspinner Yannic Cariah out despite an impressive warm-up game against Australia, seemingly refusing to consider that if spin troubled them, it could have a similar effect on their opponents. Even after the loss on Friday, head coach Phil Simmons – who previously coached Ireland – brushed aside the idea that leaving Akeal Hosein to operate alone on that front might have been an issue.”Well, they have it and they choose to use it against us,” he said. “Those teams play spin well, so we didn’t think we needed it.”I don’t know [if there are short-term fixes]. We’ve got to go back and look at our structure and how we play the game and make sure that when we come to competitions and when we play in bilateral series we are ready and able to do what’s necessary for each situation of the game.”Over these past three games, West Indies showed repeatedly they weren’t able to do some of the most basic things. Kolkata to Hobart might be a long way, but West Indies seem to have found an unfortunate shortcut to go from zenith to nadir. The portents from their Test and ODI decline suggest the way back might not be quite as straightforward.

Takeaways from the ongoing Vincy T10 Premier League

Deivarayan Muthu23-May-2020Sanitising stations
The players were not allowed to use saliva to shine the ball, as recommended by the ICC, and maintained social distancing at various points. They all entered the field separately and later exited in similar fashion. Both the on-field umpires and even the wicketkeepers were seen wearing masks as a precautionary measure. During the innings break, the ground staff was also seen wearing masks while evening up the patches near the bowlers’ landing area. And as listed in the ICC’s do’s and don’ts, the players refrained from handing their caps and other personal items to the umpires.The ICC had also recommended that players use hand sanitisers to disinfect the ball. Accordingly, the The VPL has set up sanitising stations off the field and monitors the temperature of those going on it.

No spectators in the stands, masks for all players and officials, hand washing stations on and off the field, hand sanitizers, physical distancing rules, temperature checks and more are all in place here at the Vincy Premiere League pic.twitter.com/CGTvRUyN9z

— VINCY PREMIER LEAGUE (VPL T10 ) (@VPLT10) May 23, 2020

Bye-bye hi-fives, hello leg-shakesDespite cricket not being a contact sport, the ICC had recommended that celebrations going forward should not involve any physical contact. Little surprise then that the fall of a wicket in the VPL has been greeted by shaking of legs and punching of ground. It sounds quite odd, doesn’t it? After all, cricket in this region has produced some eye-catching celebrations.Speaking of strange new normals, on the second day of the league, Dark View Explorers’ Denson Hoyte hurt himself in the outfield and landed awkwardly while chasing the ball, but his team-mates made a conscious effort to still maintain social distancing. The medical staff didn’t enter the field either, with Hoyte eventually managing to hobble off the field.No spectators
In an ideal world, Sunil Ambris, a local boy who rose to become a West Indies international, would have been greeted with cheers from the stands. However, in the post Covid-19 world, he came into the attack on the first day amid pin-drop silence. The advice to play behind closed doors was given by the National Covid-19 taskforce.”The St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association would have preferred an option of a limited number of spectators, maybe 300 or 500 max in the stadium; however, the experts expressed some initial concerns,” president Kishore Shallow, who is also the vice-president at CWI (Cricket West Indies) told the VPL website. “They [sic] advised that we attempt to regularise the management of players before we consider having spectators.”On the second day, however, the commentators said that the VPL organisers are exploring the possibility of having a handful of spectators next week. Reports indicate there have been 18 cases of coronavirus in St Vincent and Grenadines, with 14 having recovered.The first ODI between Australia and New Zealand in March earlier this year was the first high-profile match to be played at a closed stadium. However, in the past, Pakistan have played in front of empty stands in the UAE.Catering to the Indian audience
It was Dream11, an India-based sports technology company, that had approached Shallow to put the league together. So, the first of the triple-header kicked off as early as 8.30am local time to attract fantasy-league players from India. All the VPL games will be streamed on the Fancode app.