All posts by h716a5.icu

All the records that the South Africa batter broke on his Test debut against Zimbabwe

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Jun-202519 years, 93 days Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ age on Saturday, when he scored 153 in the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. He became the youngest batter to score 150 in Test cricket, bettering Javed Miandad, who was 19 years and 119 days old when he notched up 163 against New Zealand on the opening day of the Lahore Test in 1976.4 Number of players younger than Pretorius with a hundred on their Test debut. Three of those four have done it in the second innings on debut.1 Pretorius is also the youngest among seven South African men to score a hundred on their Test debut. In fact, no man younger than Pretorius had scored a fifty in any format for South Africa in International cricket. His hundred off 112 balls is also the fastest for South Africa on debut.157 Balls that Pretorius needed for his 150 against Zimbabwe. It is the fastest 150 for South Africa in Tests, a record previously held by AB de Villiers, who had achieved it off 162 balls against Australia in 2012 (where data is available).His effort is also the second fastest by a debutant in Tests, only behind Shikhar Dhawan, who got to his 150 in only 131 balls against Australia in 2013.4 Batters to have scored a century on their Test debut as well as their first-class debut. Pretorius had scored 120 on his first-class debut in December last year against the Warriors. Gundappa Viswanath, Dirk Wellham and Prithvi Shaw are the other players to have achieved this feat.38 Balls that Dewald Brevis needed for his half-century on Saturday, the fastest by a debutant for South Africa in Tests. The previous quickest was by Dave Nourse, who scored a fifty off 40 balls on his debut against Australia in 1902. Brevis’ 38-ball effort is also the joint-fourth fastest on debut in men’s Tests.95 Partnership runs between Pretorius and Brevis for the fifth wicket. It is the highest partnership between two debutants for South Africa in men’s Tests. The previous highest was 92 between Andrew Hudson and Adrian Kuiper, also for the fifth wicket against West Indies in 1992.

Women’s support staff and cricket’s inclusion in 2028 Olympics will also come up for discussion

Annesha Ghosh08-Apr-2021India Women’s future tours program and the appointment of their support staff are two of the 14 items on the agenda at a special meeting of the BCCI Apex Council, scheduled for April 16.Just under 11 months out from the rescheduled 2022 ODI World Cup in New Zealand, which will be followed by the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – where women’s cricket will make its maiden appearance courtesy an eight-team T20 competition – there remains little clarity on India’s list of fixtures. While a rare one-off Test during a tour of England, mostly likely in June 2021, and a proposed tour of Australia before the World Cup have been lined up, the BCCI is yet to announce any other international series involving India.Other key items on the agenda

The upcoming men’s T20 World Cup in India

The 2021-2022 domestic season

Organisation of the Bihar Cricket Association’s Bihar Cricket League

Formation of a working group with regards to state T20 leagues

Affiliation of the Differently Abled Cricket Association

ESPNcricinfo understands that a potential bilateral assignment against Sri Lanka, which has come up for discussion between the two boards intermittently since July-August last year, is well on the backburner as SLC, instead, is hoping to finalise discussions with the PCB about hosting Pakistan after May.Most of the Indian players in the national set-up are expected to be part of the fourth edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge that is likely to run in its traditional window – during the playoffs week of the IPL in May. It remains uncertain, though, if the tournament would be expanded to four teams and, therefore, seven matches instead of three teams playing four matches, which has been the case since its inception in 2018. Several top-flight players could also be involved in the Hundred in July-August, as opener Smriti Mandhana confirmed last month, pending clearances from the BCCI.Related

No domestic bliss: Indian cricketers wait for upswing after lost year

Australia selector Shawn Flegler: 'Top sides can invest in women's Tests but important to keep the rest in mind'

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A timeline of the series that India Women missed out on

In terms of the support staff, it has been learnt that incumbent head coach WV Raman, whose two-year contract expired in December 2020 but was extended until the home series against South Africa that ended last month, is likely to be retained. The BCCI is expected to put out an advertisement inviting applications for the position, as well as for the roles of bowling and fielding coaches, currently held by Narendra Hirwani and Abhay Sharma respectively.The BCCI’s stand on cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will also be discussed at the meeting. In October 2020, the ICC had sent a questionnaire to its member countries asking them to assess “the potential financial support” they might receive should the sport return to the Olympic program for the first time in 128 years. Two months later, following a BCCI meeting, it was learnt that the Indian board was open to the idea of cricket featuring in the 2028 Olympics, but it wanted clarity on a few key issues.

India’s No. 3 has a highest score of 36 outside Asia over the last three years and has shown a habit of throwing his wicket away after great starts

Alagappan Muthu20-Dec-2024At every net session, it becomes clear why India believe in Shubman Gill. He plays shots that are supposed to be hard ever so easily. There was this pull to a ball that was climbing up towards his rib cage at the Gabba. He swayed inside the line, just a subtle realigning of his torso, nothing more followed by a swivel of the back foot to direct the ball where he wanted it to go.The eye test in cricket is a rudimentary measure of how good a batter is based on how comfortable they look in the middle. Are they moving into the ball, or are they stuck on the crease? Are they rushed by quality bowling, or do they actually make it look a bit meh? Gill has been very good at passing the eye test in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But his highest score is 31. This has been happening for a while.In Birmingham 2022, as India attempted to build on their 2-1 lead in the Pataudi Trophy, he began his innings with a couple of crisp drives, and then he pulled Stuart Broad disdainfully in front of square. Each of those shots was a rendition of his natural instincts. Letting them take over got him to 17 runs from 20 balls. Letting them run unchecked got him dismissed for 17 off 24. James Anderson dangled one wide of off stump, and Gill took the bait.Related

Rohit, Akash Deep hit in MCG nets, but 'no major concerns'

WTC final race – How can India, Australia qualify?

India and Australia take a moment to recalibrate as Gabba stalemate leaves everything up for grabs

Can Virat Kohli find a plan B before it's too late?

Since Gill announced himself almost four years ago, setting up India’s win at the Gabba with 91 off 146 balls, his highest score outside Asia is 36. During this period, he has only 267 runs to show across 16 innings in Australia, England, South Africa and the West Indies, for an average of 17.80.He has developed a habit of looking really, really good, and then just randomly getting out. Earlier this week, at the Gabba, he essentially middled a wide ball from Mitchell Starc into a packed slip cordon for Mitchell Marsh to pull off a superb catch. India were 6 for 2, and the irony was that Gill had attended the pre-match press conference and highlighted how the batters’ focus was in doing whatever it took to get big first-innings runs.Gill once spoke, to the podcast, of how his technique has been able to survive the journey up to international cricket; that even his coaches didn’t really believe he needed to change much. He must have wowed them all with his attacking shots, the ones that are difficult to play but come so naturally to him, especially off the back foot. From that point, it can almost be taken for granted that the other stuff – the boring stuff like blocking the ball or leaving it – would also be in order.Only the hard hands that he uses to put power into those impossible shots – the pulls, the jabs, and the punches – were leading to his downfall when he had to just defend. The hard hands that took advantage of bowlers just trying to hold a line outside off stump in limited-overs cricket were leading him into trouble in Test cricket. He ended up playing deliveries he should be leaving. In the WTC 2023 final, he left one that he should have been playing. It became confusing. On a Port of Spain pitch where every other member of the top four made fifties, he got caught for 10 because he didn’t seem to trust his own judgment of what to play and what not to, so he just played at everything. It bled into another one of his strengths – dealing with left-arm pace. Until 12 months ago, he had only been dismissed to them once, averaging 145. In the last 12 months, he has been knocked by them over five times, averaging 13.80.1:47

Pujara: Gill’s hard hands and lack of footwork causing trouble in Australia

In 2024, Gill began the home series against England with a pair of low scores, and it felt like his place in the side was under threat. He trained extremely hard – he had kids bowling to him in the Visakhapatnam nets, and he gave them the utmost respect – and emerged the second-highest scorer across the five Tests with two crucial centuries. He has credited that period as an important part of his career so far. Preparation and repetition, that’s how Gill likes to work through the challenges he comes up against. So perhaps the more time he has spent at No. 3, the better he will get. It has been 18 months since he has permanently taken over that position. He isn’t the perfect fit there. His best position might be one step lower, but that’s occupied.Melbourne, the venue of the fourth Test against Australia, is likely to offer fast-bowler friendly conditions again, and Australia will once again look to drag him forward – which he tends to do reluctantly – and tempt him to play away from his body – which he tends to do liberally – and that disconnect is what often leads him into danger, as he ends up reaching away from his body.Gill could still get out that way. Batting in the top three has been extremely hard in this series. But he would want to make it a little harder than it currently is for bowlers to pick up his wicket.

A £40 million player is very keen to join Chelsea this summer and specifically wants to partner, or compete, with current forward Nicolas Jackson.

Chelsea hold talks over signing Olise and Duran

Reports in the last week have suggested that Chelsea have held talks over signing Crystal Palace star Michael Olise, as well as Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.

Chelsea eye Enzo Fernandez-like deal as Bayern Munich target agrees to join

The west Londoners have made a breakthrough in talks.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 15, 2024

The Blues contacted Palace chiefs over Olise last week, as per reliable media outlets like The Guardian, as they sought to find out the conditions of a potential deal. The 22-year-old's contract includes a complex £60 million release clause, which is apparently only valid for Champions League clubs, meaning Chelsea may have to pay more or offer players in negotiations.

There have been suggestions that Chelsea could offer Noni Madueke in a player-plus-cash bid for Olise, and as they attempt to get that move over the line, they're are also weighing up the transfer of Duran from Villa.

The young Colombian striker bagged just eight goals in 37 appearances across all competitions last term but is very highly rated at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have a £40 million deal agreed in principle for Duran, but they're reportedly eyeing alternatives before they formally press ahead.

Duran wants to play with Nicolas Jackson at Chelsea

The Standard have an update on their pursuit this week, and they claim the 20-year-old is excited by the prospect of linking up with Enzo Maresca.

Duran is very keen on joining Chelsea and wants to play alongside Nicolas Jackson, as he looks to compete with or partner the Senegalese in Maresca's team. The South American also believes he's an ideal fit for both Maresca's system and Chelsea's longer-term vision. If Chelsea settle on Duran as their striker signing, it's added they're confident of bringing him to west London.

"Jhon Duran is a special player," said Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.

"We have to try and help him. He is a good guy, and he needs a team behind him. He is getting our demands better. He was very clinical and today was important for him.

Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool

8.36

Aston Villa 3-1 Crystal Palace

7.48

Aston Villa 4-0 Everton

7.38

Man City 4-1 Aston Villa

6.90

Aston Villa 3-2 Burnley

6.80

"Today we are celebrating with our supporters, we have to push it and keep working and be consistent. We were consistent all the season. The team was being mature and always consistent in our mind. Inch by inch we did it.

"We are very proud of the season. It is not enough at the moment to get fourth. Even after we scored the two goals, we had chances. We are celebrating the season here with our supporters in Villa Park. We are only thinking of us. We will prepare for our match on Sunday, everything is in our hands."

SLC technical committee chairman Aravinda de Silva shares details of future plans

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Apr-2021Sri Lanka is looking to revive inter-provincial cricket in the latest attempt to create a more competitive first-class structure. Although exact details of the new competition have not been announced, chairman of SLC’s technical committee Aravinda de Silva has hinted that the provincial system will become the premier multi-day competition in the country. The present club system will continue to exist with only minor alterations as well.Provincial cricket has been sporadically attempted in Sri Lanka, but such competitions have largely been short in duration, and have done little to connect with a fan base from the provinces each team is supposed to represent. De Silva suggested the existing first-class clubs (of which there are now 26), may be required to band together in clusters to administer each of these provincial teams. This is an idea that had first been floated in 2015, by Mahela Jayawardene, before a change of leadership at SLC did away with the plan for a cluster system.”We are trying to create another tier in domestic cricket through a provincial tournament,” de Silva said. “What we want to do is make that a stronger four-day competition. In that provincial competition, we will have an “A” tier as well, which will give players opportunities to qualify for development squads. But the main provincial competition will be the feeder for the national team.”We’re trying to create a pathway from the bottom to the top by clustering clubs so that we develop players leaving the school system right to the highest level.”De Silva was adamant that although the existing club system may be trimmed down to three-day matches (at present, clubs play a mixture of three and four-day encounters), and although the number of club matches may be reduced to make way for the provincial tournament, the club system would continue to be an integral part of Sri Lanka’s domestic structure. The club tournament also would not lose its first-class status.”The clubs provide the infrastructure for players who are just out of school, because they get facilities, support and opportunities, to give these players a foundation. Without that foundation – if we get rid of the clubs – it’s like we’re shooting ourselves in the foot. The club system has been the foundation for us to develop our cricketers thus far. If we get rid of that system, it will be very difficult for us to bridge that gap. You need somewhere for the 3000-odd cricketers leaving the school system to continue playing.”SLC has made no official announcements on the exact nature of the new domestic structure yet. De Silva’s technical committee working closely with Tom Moody – Sri Lanka’s new director of cricket – to finalise tournament details.The clubs, however, may need to be won over by these new proposals. They have typically been resistant to accept additional first-class competitions that threaten the club structure’s status as the top domestic competition in the country.

The underwhelming Europa League draw with Fenerbahce became the latest in a long list of poor performances as the Dutchman muddles on

It feels as though Manchester United are never too far from disappointment at present, and they took their latest backwards step by throwing away a lead to draw with Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce on Thursday night in the Europa League. The Red Devils' nasty habit of throwing away leads in Europe reared its head again, as Christian Eriksen's opener was almost inevitably cancelled out.

A third-straight draw leaves Erik ten Hag's side – among the favourites to lift the trophy – way down the standings in the new-look competition and facing the very real prospect of humiliation if they don't buck up their ideas, and that may well require a change of manager.

This was another performance that was symptomatic of their long-standing problems under Ten Hag, and even though United avoided defeat there is a sense that the beleaguered Dutchman is clinging on by his fingertips as INEOS delay the inevitable. This is not a side that looks capable of lifting the Europa League trophy come May.

AFP'We showed we are hard to beat'

Ten Hag has a habit of being misinterpreted, with his English not always perfect, but his message after the draw in Istanbul was pretty clear: this was an acceptable result in difficult circumstances.

There is undoubtedly some truth to that as United toiled to a point against the backdrop of the cacophonous and hostile atmosphere of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, but after draws with Twente and Porto, fans were surely expecting more from one of the favourites to win the competition against a side who sit fourth in the Turkish league, eight points off top spot.

"I think when you take the two points, Porto and Fenerbahce away, it showed we are a team who's hard to beat, and we showed it again today," Ten Hag told after the match. "So we can take confidence again from this game and take this on into the league."

Pressed on whether this kind of result is acceptable, he admitted: "We have to win. We created the chances but we have to be killing more. We let the opponent get away with a point." He later added: "Now we have two games at Old Trafford [in the Europa League]. We have to win if we want to progress in Europe."

AdvertisementAFPBizarre experiment

Even before kick-off, the Dutchman had sparked more bemusement when the line-ups were released. Amid a raft of injuries, he had opted to field nominal right-back Noussair Mazaraoui in the No.10 role despite still having Amad Diallo and Casemiro at his disposal.

"We have some injuries and a suspension with Bruno, so we had to be creative. Also, we had some players who have a short turnaround to West Ham, so we've made some changes there and a different set-up, but not so much different because we want to keep consistency," the manager explained. "We bring Mazraoui into the No.10 position. I know him from before, sometimes played him there for Ajax, also playing him as a full-back, and also in our system he's playing in the half spaces."

It was a tactical decision that left Man Utd legend Paul Scholes flummoxed. "I’m confused by it," he said on . "I even think his explanation of it was confusing… I think Eriksen is perfect for that. I hope Mazraoui understands better what he has to do than I do. I found it difficult to understand Ten Hag’s explanation. I don’t see him as a No.10."

Although he did play a role in United's goal, Mazraoui unsurprisingly looked out of place so far up the pitch and was eventually shifted back. Reflecting on the decision, Ten Hag said: "Experiment? We would never come up with this if we didn't have issues. It's a long time ago [that] he played there but he's capable to do it and we have seen today, in the lead-up to the goal he plays the role but also to strengthen the midfield, support the pressing, he was doing quite well in that position so [I'm] pleased with his performance."

AFP'It's a good result for Man Utd'

After the 1-1 draw, the man in the opposite dugout was under no illusions as to who deserved to win the game. Mourinho had been fired up throughout the encounter, earning himself yet another red card as he was sent to the stands for storming out of his technical area to remonstrate with the fourth official over the non-award of a penalty.

While backhandedly complimenting United goalkeeper Andre Onana for a stunning double save when the Red Devils were 1-0 up, the prickly Portuguese made his feelings on the game abundantly clear.

"Onana made two incredible saves in our fantastic initial period," he told . "Come on, he saved the result. My keeper didn’t make a save, he made two impossible saves. I think he was the most decisive player. He didn’t make 20 saves but two were incredible, Onana can do it.

"We were better than them so it’s a good result for Manchester United. They got a point against us, we didn’t get a point against them. We played amazing. We will destroy every team if we play like this in the league. United are a superior level, the Premier League has more quality, more intensity, more everything."

Getty Images SportRisk of humiliation

Whether or not he has a good rapport with Ten Hag, Mourinho was clearly trying to aim something of a parting shot with his suggestion that United left Istanbul with their tail between their legs, and this was the latest instance in what has been a humbling European campaign to date for one of the continent's biggest names.

Second favourites to go all the way in the Europa League behind domestic rivals Tottenham by virtue of the fact that Champions League teams will no longer drop down into the secondary competition, Man Utd find themselves 21st in the standings in the new league phase after three consecutive draws – already four points off the automatic last-16 qualification places and six behind leaders Lazio. If results don't pick up, they will face the ignominy of a knockout round play-off to progress.

Whether that humiliation is a realistic prospect remains to be seen; United's toughest league phase fixtures are technically out of the way, with games against PAOK, Bodo/Glimt, Viktoria Plzen, Rangers and FCSB to come – matches they will be fully expected to take maximum points from. That said, only Greek side PAOK are currently below the English giants in the table.

The draws against Twente – who are 28th – and Fenerbahce will not fill supporters with confidence, and neither will their surrender of a two-goal lead in the dramatic 3-3 in Porto. United have developed an unwanted habit of failing to secure victory from winning positions in Europe, with that the outcome in six of their last eight games across the Europa League and last season's disastrous Champions League campaign.

Bangladesh have a rare chance of starting a fresh day with ten wickets in hand, and they have Shadman and Zakir to thank for that

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2024One thing batters do not look forward to is to face twelve overs of bowling after spending the whole day fielding. Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam’s brave faces weren’t fooling anyone in Rawalpindi. Justin Langer wrote in his autobiography about wanting the twilight challenge, but few are cut from the same cloth.Zakir and Shadman are Bangladesh’s tenth different opening pair in the last three years. After Shan Masood declared the Pakistan innings on 448 for 6 at 4.34 pm local time, they were set to face at least an hour of hellfire from Pakistan’s pace attack. And they did… okay. They blunted Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, and annoyed Khurram Shahzad a little bit. That’s not a bad evening’s work. They have a more work to do but for now this will do.Related

Rizwan, Shakeel tons define Pakistan's day of gains

Muted Rawalpindi shows little love for a Pakistan in rehab

The expectations of Bangladesh’s batters have been so low these days that going twelve overs unscathed felt like a big deal. On a tough day for Bangladesh, Shadman and Zakir looked in control to ensure the visitors left the ground with some respite. Shadman is returning to the Test side after 16 months while Zakir is playing his first overseas Test. The pair played out 58 dot balls in the twelve overs and even hit three fours.Batting coach David Hemp wore a smile at the end of the day. He looked like one of those dads who watching their kids’ recital and mouthing their lines along with them. Hemp had received good news earlier in the day from the Islamabad Club where Saif Hassan and Jaker Ali struck hundreds for Bangladesh A. He was however more pleased with what he saw in Rawalpindi.”It is always a challenge to bat for a limited time in the back end of the day,” Hemp said. “After being in the field for five hours. We are really pleased not to lose wickets, but more importantly their approach. They are still trying to capitalise on scoring options. I also felt that they made good judgements about leaving the ball.”Shadman’s recent form should provide some confidence. He made 88 against Pakistan A in Darwin recently. Zakir didn’t have a good outing against Pakistan A in Islamabad last week, but he was beginning to forge a solid partnership with Mahmudul Hasan Joy, whose groin injury kept him out of this Test.Zakir Hasan cuts the ball•Associated PressHemp added that the rest of the Bangladesh batters are also prepared to take on the Pakistan attack. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque are up next, followed by the veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, and Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz lower down the order.”From what we are seeing in the preparation period, they have all been striking the ball well and getting into good positions,” Hemp said. “They are all confident that they can contribute to the team. We have depth in the batting order with Litton at seven and Mehidy at eight.”[Pakistan] have four good seamers and a reasonable spinner. They have bowling options. They are a good attack. It is going to be a challenge. The priority is to bat the day. We have to negotiate each session, and then see where we are.”Hemp also expected the lower order to contribute runs, citing how the Bangladesh tail stood up against New Zealand in their last Test win, in November 2023.”The mantra in the team is for everyone to be able to contribute,” he said. “Everyone is expected to bat as much as possible. For us internally, we look at contributions from the lower order. We are more interested in balls faced than runs from No 9, 10 and 11. During the New Zealand series at home last year, the last four batters averaged 33 to 34 balls per innings. That’s 120 balls, which kept New Zealand in the field for 20 extra overs. It had a massive impact on the game. For us it is a really important factor.”Shakib, Shanto and Litton have not been among the runs. Mominul and Mushfiqur are low on game time, while Mehidy is also returning from a considerable break. Bangladesh will need a massive effort from the batters to get even in this Test.

West Ham and Tottenham have held discussions over signing former Brentford striker Ivan Toney ahead of the looming January transfer window, and he’s now given a response to both sides.

Ivan Toney attracts Premier League interest after Saudi displays

Toney’s excellent since moving to Al-Ahli has reportedly prompted several Premier League clubs to consider bringing him back to English football, with his exceptional goalscoring record defying initial skepticism about his £40 million transfer.

The 29-year-old has silenced doubters emphatically, scoring 42 goals across just 62 appearances in all competitions since arriving in the Gulf state.

His output has spearheaded Al-Ahli to success, including their maiden AFC Champions League triumph and victory in the Saudi Super Cup after a penalty shootout victory over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.

Toney’s memorable hat-trick against 2024 champions Al-Hilal marked Al-Ahli’s first victory over their rivals in eight league games, with the striker going on to net 12 goals across just seven matches during one extraordinary purple patch.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham

His performances even briefly earned the Englishman a spot back in Thomas Tuchel’s England setup earlier this year, but Toney has struggled to fire his way back into contention since then.

With the 2026 World Cup looming, reports have suggested that Toney could return to the Premier League in a bid to battle his way into Tuchel’s thinking ahead of the tournament next year.

West Ham now in pole position to sign "monster" striker after already making contact

The Hammers are after a new centre-forward.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 27, 2025

Of all the teams linked with a move for Toney, West Ham and Spurs stand chief among them as the two London clubs allegedly scour for striking options.

Tottenham are said to have held preliminary talks over a deal for Toney already, while West Ham have allegedly sounded out the striker as they look to replace the exit-bound Niclas Füllkrug.

Now, a report by talkSPORT has shed light on the situation, with Nuno Espirito Santo handed a key update.

West Ham and Tottenham get Ivan Toney response after discussions

West Ham and Tottenham have discussed January moves for Toney, but the England striker has made clear his intention to remain in Saudi Arabia, effectively ending hopes of an immediate Premier League return.

Sources close to the situation confirm Toney’s camp has communicated directly to interested Premier League clubs that the striker remains settled, content and unwilling to push for a transfer.

Al-Ahli sporting director Rui Pedro Braz reinforced this stance publicly, insisting speculation surrounding January departures holds no basis in reality and declaring the club counts on Toney moving forward.

Additionally, Toney must remain abroad until April 2026 to maintain his non-UK tax residency status. Returning prematurely would trigger significant tax liabilities estimated at around £14 million.

Al-Ahli would also demand more than the £40 million they paid for a permanent transfer.

The SPL club would only consider sanctioning Toney’s departure if they secured an elite-level replacement, something which could be very difficult to do in January’s limited window.

Right now, the odds are stacked against an exit for the ‘remarkable’ striker, so West Ham and Spurs may need to look elsewhere.

According to other reports, West Ham have already made contact over a deal for USG striker Promise David, who could be available for a generous £17.5 million.

She is self isolating at home after experiencing mild symptoms

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2021Harmanpreet Kaur has tested positive for Covid-19, the update coming after she had experienced mild symptoms and was tested. ESPNcricinfo understands that the India T20I captain experienced a fever for four days before testing positive on Monday. She is currently self-isolating at home.Kaur did not play any part in the recent T20Is at home against South Africa as a result of a hip-flexor injury, which she picked up during the fifth ODI in the longer-format series preceding the T20Is.

pic.twitter.com/Ge58dgSxpe

— Harmanpreet Kaur (@ImHarmanpreet) March 30, 2021

In Kaur’s absence, Smriti Mandhana led India to a 2-1 series defeat. Earlier, Mithali Raj had led India to a 4-1 loss in the ODIs, in which Kaur hit 160 runs in four innings at an average of 53.33, including a 54 in the fourth ODI.Kaur is the second high-profile India Women cricketer to have tested positive for Covid-19 after pace bowler Mansi Joshi tested positive last October. As a result of that, Joshi had to miss the Women’s T20 Challenge in the UAE, where she was to represent the Velocity side, led by Raj.Separately, a number of former Indian cricketers, who were part of the Road Safety Series in Raipur, have tested positive for Covid-19: Sachin Tendulkar, Yusuf Pathan, S Badrinath and Irfan Pathan have returned positive tests.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's ambitions to build a new 55,000-seater stadium have been described as "incredible" by a former Wrexham manager.

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Current Wrexham ground has 12,600 capacityRefurbishment underway to expand to 16,000 seatsWrexham owners hoping to capitalise on fameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Wrexham boss Dean Saunders has revealed his thoughts behind the ambitions of the club's owners to build a brand new stadium that could end up having a capacity of 55,000 people.

Saunders, who managed the club between 2008 and 2011 believes Wrexham could far exceed his initial goals of having 25,000 fans in the Championship due to the influx of 'fans from everywhere'.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Wrexham have enjoyed enormous growth since their 'Hollywood' takeover in 2021, which has seen the club rise from the Conference National to League One, achieving sell-out crowds along the way.

McElhenney and Reynolds have continued to invest in the infrastructure of the club in order to build on the new-found interest in the Welsh side.

Getty ImagesWHAT SAUNDERS SAID

Speaking on talkSPORT, Saunders said: “I mean, they are gaining fans from everywhere. The series they put on, obviously what they are doing for the town, and I wouldn’t put it past them. 55,000 is a lot to ask. And, I thought, at the time, looking back, I remember thinking, we will get 25,000 for getting in the Championship. We might get 25,000. But to make the stadium a 55,000 capacity, it’s just incredible.”

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham will continue building their case for a bigger stadium on the pitch when they face off against Rotherham next Saturday.

Phil Parkinson's side are second in League One as they aim for an astonishing third-successive promotion.