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Multan Sultans coach backs the decision to change captains just days out from the start of the 2021 PSL season

Umar Farooq17-Feb-20213:12

Flower: ‘Rizwan has the qualities to make him a very successful leader’

The decision to elevate wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan as captain of Multan Sultans was an acknowledgement of his inherent leadership qualities rather than his recent red-hot form, according to head coach Andy Flower. Flower said his franchise hoped to play a part in Rizwan’s development for the good of Pakistan cricket.Multan’s decision to replace Shan Masood, who led them to the playoffs last year, days before the sixth season was surprising – Masood was integral in trialling a system of signals between coaching staff and the captain on-field, a kind of real-time strategising as play went on. That was a system England later used in their T20Is against South Africa – Nathan Leamon, England’s white-ball analyst was also with Multan. But at least partly it would appear the change is a result of a shake-up within the franchise. ESPNcricinfo understands that Alamgir Tareen, a prominent businessman, has now taken complete ownership of the franchise, in a move that has seen Ali Tareen, his nephew and hitherto the face of the franchise, moved out.Multan insisted, however, that the decision was a cricketing one.”Rizwan has shown that he’s got leadership qualities when he captained Pakistan while Babar (Azam) was injured,” Flower said. “He’s also got a really good record in domestic cricket, recently won the T20 tournament for his state (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) so he’s got the qualities to make a very successful leader. I don’t know him well, but obviously been doing a bit of research on him and he had some of the leadership qualities that we’re looking for for a new way forward. In saying that, I would say that I really enjoyed working with Shan Masood last year. I thought he captained very well, played very well, and was very much a part of us doing well last season.Mohammad Rizwan made his maiden Test and T20I hundred this month•AP Photo”However, nothing stays permanent in life and this is a change that we’ve made. Shan is still a very important part of the Multan group. In whatever way, as a batsman or an internal leader, he’ll still play a very big part in this upcoming tournament. But for the moment, Rizwan is our captain and we’re very much looking forward to him leading the side and us getting to the play-offs again. It’s not a short-term decision. Rizwan has shown leadership qualities over a longer period of time and It’s not just his form with the bat.”The move is further confirmation of Rizwan’s swiftly rising status within Pakistan cricket, having for so long been back-up to Sarfraz Ahmed. He has now firmly established his place across formats with PCB naming him vice-captain in Test cricket. He announced himself in England last year to win a Player-of-the-Series award and his stocks rose further in New Zealand where even though the team lost both Tests under his leadership, he continued scoring runs in crisis situations.Though he’s scored first-class runs for a while now in much the same vein, the surprise has been his T20 form. In the National T20 Cup before the New Zealand series, he scored four fifties, including an unbeaten 99 against Central Punjab, which helped him finish as the highest run-scorer. His tournament tally of 389 runs at 38.90 – and a strike rate of 127.96 – led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the 2020 title.”We would like to be a part of his development for his own good, and also for the good of Pakistan cricket,” Flower said. “All of the franchises, I think, need to keep in mind the development of Pakistan cricket and its long-term good and Rizwan is case in point. In our particular example, Shan is a really good young man and a strong young man. He’s had various speed bumps and hurdles to overcome in his young career and this will be another one for him. It’s not easy for him and we can empathise with him, but we all grow stronger from some of these hurdles that we have to overcome. And in this case, I am absolutely certain that that is the way Shan will react.”Although he is yet to play T20Is for Pakistan, Masood rose to prominence with good run in domestic cricket last year scoring 569 at 27.09 at a strike rate of 125.60. However, he isn’t an explosive opening batsman and with Rizwan likely to play in the top order Masood’s chances of keeping his place seem bleak with James Vince, Chris Lynn, Sohaib Maqsood, and Rilee Rossouw also around.”We’ve got a good number of options for the top order, but there are also people in that line-up that have batted at Nos. 3 and 4 quite regularly,” Flower said. “So we’re not concerned about the order. I think it’s a strength for us. That we have players that are adaptable and that we can adapt either to the conditions that are at play or the opposition and some of their tactics. So we think that the number of options that we have at the top of the order and in the middle order is a strength. If you’re asking about what particular order we’re going to use, I’m not going to tell you right now, we’ve got a couple of practice matches now, but obviously sharing that sort of information for our opposition, we wouldn’t do that.”

A statue of Harry Kane has finally been unveiled, but is being called the “stuff of nightmares” and likened to an infamous Cristiano Ronaldo bust.

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Sculpture sits in east LondonFirst club saluting strikerCritics less than impressedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayern Munich and England striker Kane has been immortalised at The Peter May Centre in Walthamstow, east London. It was there, when turning out for Ridgeway Rovers, that the record-breaking frontman took his first steps towards superstardom.

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In recognition of his achievements, Tottenham and England’s all-time leading goalscorer saw a sculpture commissioned by Waltham Forest Council – at the cost of £7,200. The piece in question is said to have been completed in 2020, but has sat in storage since then.

DID YOU KNOW?

It has now been installed in front of a mural dedicated to Kane, with the man himself on hand to witness the official unveiling, but the piece – which depicts Kane sitting on a bench and a holding a football on his thigh – has divided opinion.

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GettyWHAT ART CRITIC SAID

Social media users were quick to brand it the “stuff of nightmares” while asking why statues of famous sportspeople “all look so bad”. Art critic Estelle Lovatt has added to : “If you think about it historically, a public statue was there to immortalise, show off and loudly boast of the achievements and accomplishments of the person. If it doesn't really bear a resemblance to the person, it's quite difficult to relate to it.

“I just thought the Roman emperors wouldn't have put up with it, with this sort of standard. It's imposing because of its size and its fantastical because of its size, but it lacks any aesthetic creativity. When it becomes quite a laughable depiction, that doesn't empower the craftsman or the artist or indeed the master they are trying to capture. It sort of lets everybody down.”

After losing Crysencio Summerville just a week before the Championship campaign gets underway, Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing another Dutch winger.

Leeds transfer news

Summerville's exit couldn't have been poorer timed with Leeds' opening day clash against Portsmouth just a week away. Having suffered playoff heartbreak last time out, the Whites will be desperate to secure a return to the Premier League this season, but will have to do so without both Archie Gray and their aforementioned talisman.

Left with the undoubtedly difficult task of replacing Summerville within the next few weeks before the summer transfer window slams shut, those at Elland Road will be scrambling for options and have reportedly turned their attention towards the Eredivisie in an attempt to solve their problem.

According to Sander Janssen of Voetbal International, Leeds are now interested in signing Sontje Hansen from NEC Nijmegen this summer, but face competition from League One side Birmingham City. A former Ajax winger, Jannsen could yet emerge to step into the void left behind by his fellow Dutchman this summer.

"Special" Hansen could replace Summerville

Swapping one Dutch star for another could certainly be a place to start for those in Yorkshire and a deeper dive into Hansen indicates that he could quickly prove to be quite the coup for Leeds, should they make their move this month. The right-winger left Ajax last summer but has since shown glimpses of his best at Nijmegen, scoring six goals and assisting a further four in the Eredivisie last season.

The potential for more is certainly there too, given the previous praise of former Netherlands U17 coach Peter van der Veen, who said via The Athletic: "You can see with your own eyes that he is special. He can play as a striker, on either wing, and as a No 10. He’s just on fire at the moment, and hopefully he will keep it up. It’s still a long road ahead but he has all the talent to become a really top player.”

That ability to also play through the middle mirrors that of Summerville, who proved to be quite the talisman for Daniel Farke throughout the last campaign. Of course, Hansen is yet to be a player at the new West Ham man's level, but an opportunity in the Championship has all the potential to turn him into a piece of transfer genius at Elland Road.

Goals

19

6

Assists

9

4

Expected Goals

16.4

3.7

Successful Take-ons

98

43

Hansen, 22, may not have managed the same numbers as Summerville, but the fact he outperformed his expected goals by a similar figure is a positive sign that Leeds are certainly looking in the right direction this summer.

The Kopa Trophy winner paraded his award before the game and showed why was named the world's best goalkeeper as Villa drew 0-0 with the Bianconeri

Aston Villa were denied a famous Champions League win over Juventus by a controversial refereeing decision, but they were indebted to the brilliance of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in a goalless draw with the Italian giants.

It took 36 minutes for either team to create a major opening but Ollie Watkins was denied by Michele Di Gregorio after being sent through on goal.

The hosts came within inches of opening the scoring on the stroke of half-time, but Lucas Digne's free-kick rattled the crossbar.

After the hour, and a tense, tetchy opening to the half, Francisco Conceicao was denied in astonishing fashion by Martinez, the Argentine goalkeeper sensationally diving to keep his low header out of the bottom corner from point-blank range.

Soon after, at the other end, John McGinn saw an effort cleared off the line as, suddenly, the contest spluttered into life.

And Morgan Rogers thought he had won the game in injury time with a fine finish after Diego Carlos challenged Di Gregorio, but the goal was ruled out by VAR for a foul on the stopper in a chaotic end to the league phase encounter.

GOAL rates Aston Villa's players from Villa Park…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Emiliano Martinez (8/10):

Not tested as much as he would have expected but made an astonishing save just after the hour to deny Conceicao, securing Villa's clean sheet and their point.

Matty Cash (7/10):

Saw a goal-bound shot blocked in the first half. Rarely beaten down his side and tried to push forward where possible. A good performance.

Diego Carlos (6/10):

Very good on the ball and can launch Villa attacks with ease. Did that and stood up to Juve's admittedly laborious attacks. Put off the Juve defence with his presence before Rogers' finish, which was controversially disallowed.

Pau Torres (6/10):

Headed just wide early on. Was rarely stretched and never really looked troubled.

Lucas Digne (7/10):

Hit the crossbar with a superb free-kick on the stroke of half-time. Like Cash, played well, as Villa effectively limited Juve's flanks and pushed them inside.

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Boubacar Kamara (5/10):

Terrible passing accuracy slowed Villa down at times. He was effective defensively but on the ball, less so. Subbed with 12 minutes to go.

Morgan Rogers (4/10):

Struggled against Juve's physicality in midfield and couldn't embark on his trademark lung-busting runs. Kept plugging away though, and thought he had the winner, before it was bizarrely ruled out.

Youri Tielemans (6/10):

Booked early. Did fine thereafter, keeping Villa ticking as he toed the disciplinary line.

Getty Images SportAttack

Leon Bailey (4/10):

Booked in the first half. Went at Juventus when he could but met resistance in defence and couldn't get beyond them.

Ollie Watkins (5/10):

Ploughed a lone furrow. Won a couple of fouls, tested the goalkeeper once, and did nothing else of note. A frustrating night.

John McGinn (5/10):

Just not skilful enough to make the left-wing spot his own. Saw an effort cleared off the line but his influence was negligible.

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Ross Barkley (5/10):

On for Kamara. Couldn't pick the lock.

Jhon Duran (5/10):

Asked to perform his usual rescue act but barely touched the ball.

Jaden Philogene (N/A):

On for Bailey. Didn't have time to swing the game Villa's way.

Unai Emery (6/10):

Will be happy with a point, as his side defended resolutely and never really looked like losing the game. Will also be fuming at what was undoubtedly a soft decision to rule out Rogers' winner.

The ECB is not in a position to provide venues for the games keeping in mind Covid-19 restrictions

Matt Roller09-Apr-2021Ireland’s planned two-match T20I series against Pakistan in England in June has been postponed, with scheduling issues the main reason for the decision.The series was initially pencilled in for 2020, but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which wiped out all of Ireland’s home fixtures for the season. ESPNcricinfo reported in January that Cricket Ireland was in talks to stage the games in England, with one of Ireland’s international grounds, in Clontarf, still unavailable after the square was relaid.Talks reached an advanced stage, but with Pakistan players due to be involved in both the rescheduled PSL, and then with the World Test Championship final and England women’s international fixtures also due to start in June, there were too many variables for the ECB to confirm the fixtures.Related

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Ireland could host Pakistan T20Is in England

Richard Holdsworth, Cricket Ireland’s performance director, told ESPNcricinfo: “We had agreements drawn up with two grounds but the ECB came back to us and said that they had so many international teams coming into the country already, and that the logistics around bubbles and Covid protocols are such a significant operation that having another two countries in at that time was just too much.”It is a shame, especially in a T20 World Cup year, but we still have three [T20Is] lined up against South Africa in July and against Zimbabwe in August. We’re trying to reschedule the Pakistan ones for a future date at some stage down the line.”Holdsworth also confirmed that Ireland’s away Test in Sri Lanka had been postponed once again, after being pencilled in for December, meaning their period without playing a Test would extend to at least two-and-a-half years.”[The Future Tours Programme] is a real mess now that everyone is trying to reschedule stuff. There’s a stack of overlaps,” Holdsworth said. “When you add in quarantine times, the whole scheduling issue has become a nightmare for everybody. SLC are committed to us still playing that Test before the end of the FTP cycle, but not in December.”

Ipswich Town appear to be working on a loan deal to sign another new midfielder who is at the peak of his powers.

Ipswich Town’s summer signings

Kieran McKenna and the Tractor Boys are preparing for their Premier League opener this weekend as they entertain Liverpool at Portman Road on Saturday lunchtime.

It has been a fairly productive window in the transfer market since winning promotion from the Championship, bringing in six new players on permanent transfers.

Ipswich Town summer signings

From

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Omari Hutchinson

Chelsea

€23.5m

Jacob Greaves

Hull City

€21.5m

Liam Delap

Manchester City

€17.85m

Arijanet Muric

Burnley

€9.55m

Conor Townsend

West Brom

€590,000

Ben Johnson

West Ham

Free transfer

Around £60m has been spent by those higher up at the club, but it looks as if more additions could be made before the deadline on August 30.

For example, reports recently have claimed that Fenerbahçe winger Ryan Kent could be on his way to Ipswich after the club had a bid accepted in the region of £2.5m.

Imagine him & Davis: Ipswich keen on signing "great" new defender

This potential new Ipswich Town signing could shine next to Leif Davis.

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That story has gone quiet, however, links to Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips have emerged from Sky Sports. The former Leeds United midfielder has struggled for game time at the Etihad and could look to revive his career at Portman Road, with an agreement now reached for a season-long loan.

Phillips isn’t the only midfield target, though. Reports earlier this month claimed that contact had been made for Napoli midfielder Jean Cajuste. It looked as if he was on his way to rivals Brentford instead, however, that transfer has stalled and it looks as if Ipswich are looking to pounce.

Ipswich Town in talks for Cajuste – Sky Sports

According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, Ipswich Town are now in talks over a straight loan deal for Cajuste after his move to Brentford broke down.

Meanwhile, journalist Sacha Tavolieri has added that Napoli and Ipswich have had an agreement for a loan without an option to buy until the rest of the season for around three weeks, with discussions ongoing between the player and the Tractor Boys.

Cajuste is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in a holding role and made the move to Napoli in 2023 from Stade Reims. Now 25 years of age, the Sweden international is at the peak of his powers with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of €10m.

So far with Napoli, Cajuste has made 35 appearances in all competitions, however, he has also racked up 139 games of senior experience with Reims, FC Midtjylland and Orgryte.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has also hailed him in the past, saying: "21 years of age. Excellent performance in an extremely important game for Midtjylland. The future of Swedish football."

Kylian Mbappe's spot-kick misery continued as he missed yet another penalty against Athletic Club in La Liga.

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Mbappe missed yet another penaltySpot-kick misery continuedReal Madrid went down 2-1 against Athletic ClubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mbappe came under fire last week after he failed to convert a penalty in Real Madrid's 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League. Despite squandering the spot-kick against the Reds, Carlo Ancelotti entrusted the France captain to take another penalty against Athletic Club on Wednesday. However, the 25-year-old failed to find the back of the net once again as Los Blancos suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Athletic Club.

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After Mbappe failed to bring his side back into the game following Alejandro Remiro's opening goal in the 53rd minute, Jude Bellingham restored parity with an equaliser in the 78th minute. The Spanish champions' celebrations, however, were short lived as Gorka Guruzeta's late strike made sure that his team walked away with all three points.

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Ancelotti's side remained four points behind league leaders and rivals Barcelona after the disappointing result at San Mames Stadium. They will be back in action in La Liga on Saturday as they take on Girona.

In an attempt to replace Crysencio Summerville, Leeds United have reportedly reached an agreement to sign a winger who also ticks the box for homegrown status for Daniel Farke's side.

Leeds transfer news

It's been a summer full of frustrating departures for the Whites, who recently saw their misery compiled by Georginio Rutter's exit to Brighton & Hove Albion. The attacking midfielder has followed in the footsteps of Archie Gray and Summerville, who secured moves to Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United respectively.

In dire need of attacking reinforcements, recent reports have linked Leeds to the likes of Manuel Benson and Carlos Forbs, who both represent solid options for those in Yorkshire. Benson, of course, currently plays for promotion rivals Burnley but has struggled for game time under Scott Parker. In search of rediscovering his best form, Leeds could swoop in before the transfer window slams shut.

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The Whites are reportedly interested in a swoop to sign the Premier League midfielder.

2 ByDan Emery Aug 21, 2024

Forbs, meanwhile, is a Manchester City academy graduate who has shown glimpses of his potential since completing a permanent move to Dutch giants Ajax. Still just 20 years old, a return to English football could yet be on the cards.

That said, it looks as though those at Elland Road have instead turned their attention towards a Manchester United academy graduate. According to Fabrizio Romano, the 49ers Enterprises and Leeds have reached an agreement to sign Largie Ramazani from UD Almeria in a deal worth €11.7m (£10m), with a medical already booked.

An added boost for Leeds is also the fact that Ramazani would count as a homegrown player, because of his time in Manchester United and Charlton Athletic's academy.

So, although the winger chose to represent Belgium, the rules state that a player counts as homegrown if they spend over three seasons registered with a club affiliated with the FA before their 21st birthday, which Ramazani did.

Now, the reason why this is important is because every EFL side must name at least seven homegrown players in every matchday squad.

"Impressive" Ramazani can replace Summerville

Aside from ticking the homegrown box, Ramazani is also quite the talent. At 23 years old, the winger was a standout in a poor Almeria side, who ended the campaign relegated to Spain's second division.

It was not down to the Belgian's efforts, however, with four goals and five assists to his name representing a solid campaign. Earning plenty of praise as a result, analyst Ben Mattinson described Ramazani as "impressive since moving to La Liga" back in January.

The Almeria man did, of course, continue that form to earn the interest of Leeds, who are now reportedly set to get their man.

The city is the frontrunner to stage the Games in 11 years and could be confirmed by mid-2021

Reuters and ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2021The Gabba is slated for an A$1 billion (USD777 million) rebuild before hosting the opening and closing ceremonies as part of Brisbane’s bid for the 2032 Olympics, officials said on Tuesday.Queensland state capital Brisbane was named preferred bidder for the 2032 Games in February and could be confirmed as host as early as July.Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Gabba would likely have its capacity boosted from 42,000 to 50,000 as part of a renovation to cost “around the A$1 billion mark”.”Every games needs a home,” she said in a statement. “The Gabba has been home to our sport since 1895. “A home for the 2032 Olympic Games could be its crowning glory.”Located in Brisbane’s inner-city suburb of Woolloongabba, the refurbished stadium would be linked to a new railway station under construction via a pedestrian plaza.Australia’s defeat against India earlier this year was their first at the Gabba since 1988. The ground will likely host the first Test of the Ashes in December although the schedule is still to be confirmed.Nick Hockley, the interim CEO of Cricket Australia, said: “The Gabba is one of the most important, iconic and historic cricket grounds in Australia and we are delighted that the Queensland Government has agreed to a major redevelopment should Brisbane win the right to host the 2032 Olympic Games.”Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison endorsed Brisbane’s bid last month and told the International Olympic Committee all levels of government in the country were firmly behind it.Palaszczuk said on Monday the bid was still “contingent on guarantees” from the federal government.Though Brisbane is the frontrunner for 2032, South Korea’s Seoul said this month it had sent the IOC a proposal for co-hosting the 2032 Games with North Korea’s capital Pyongyang.The postponed Tokyo Olympics start on July 23. Paris will host the 2024 Games, with Los Angeles hosting the 2028 event.

Cristiano Ronaldo's latest superstar link-up has seen the football legend meet Fast & Furious actor Vin Diesel, as the pair exchanged messages.

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Portuguese has become a global iconRegularly rubs shoulders with A-list celebritiesHas seen a future in movies speculated onFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese icon is accustomed to rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrities, having become a global phenomenon himself. Ronaldo is the most-followed personality on Instagram, while there has been talk of his new YouTube channel chasing down the subscriber record currently held by MrBeast.

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Ronaldo is fully focused on his professional career for now, with the 39-year-old still going strong at Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr. There has, however, been talk of him potentially exploring a route into the movie business once the day comes for him to hang up his record-breaking boots for the last time.

THE GOSSIP

A move to Wrexham that would see Ronaldo join Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds in North Wales has been speculated on, while Diesel could work CR7 into the long-running Fast & Furious franchise. Diesel has posted on social media after meeting up with Ronaldo: “Just a couple of kids with dreams…”

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WHAT RONALDO SAID

Ronaldo replied to that message with an “always” post of his own, with the evergreen frontman still having targets to chase down despite seemingly having little left to achieve. He is already a five-time Ballon d’Or winner who boasts countless entries in the history books.