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It is the start of a new era at Ibrox after Glasgow Rangers confirmed that Russell Martin is their new head coach, which came shortly after their takeover was finalised.

They also have a new sporting director, in Kevin Thelwell, and will be attacking the summer transfer window with a view to creating a team that will compete for trophies next season.

Martin and Thelwell are tasked with making changes to a squad that ended the 2024/25 campaign without a single trophy to show for their efforts.

The former Scotland international has already confirmed, though, that James Tavernier will retain the captaincy, and that a change in management will not result in a change in leadership.

Of course, the English defender keeping his role as the club captain does not mean that he is guaranteed to start week-in-week-out next term.

Why James Tavernier's position could be in danger

The veteran full-back should not be a guaranteed starter at right-back under Martin because of his defensive deficiencies that have cost Rangers on many occasions.

As recently as April, broadcaster Graham Spiers posted this on X: “The criticism that has been cast at James Tavernier all his career – defensive negligence – strikes again.”

That comment was in reaction to the goal in the clip above, as Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams ghosted in behind the Rangers skipper to score at the back post.

Tavernier, who former Gers full-back Steven Whittaker once claimed “needs to look” at the defensive side of the game, did not enjoy the best season in the Scottish Premiership from a defensive perspective either.

Appearances

33

Goals

4

Assists

8

Dribbled past

17x

Error led to shot

4

Duel success rate

56%

As you can see in the table above, the 33-year-old captain made four errors that directly led to shots for the opposition, which is twice as many as any other Rangers defender made in the division this season.

Errors have simply become too commonplace for the English full-back, whether that is giving the ball away to set up a shot for the opposition or by failing to track a runner at the back post, and that is why his spot as a regular starter should be in danger heading into next season.

Rangers are now reportedly eyeing up a new right-back to bolster their squad, and it could mean that Tavernier starting regularly next term is even less likely.

Rangers eyeing deal for new right-back

According to Hull Live, Rangers are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Hull City right-back Cody Drameh in the summer transfer window, which reopens next Monday.

The report claims that the Gers are ‘huge admirers’ of the English defender, as they line up a swoop to sign him from the Championship side ahead of next season.

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It adds that Derby County, who are also in the English Championship, have already had one bid turned down for the former Leeds United full-back, but they remain determined to snap him up.

The outlet reveals that as many as nine clubs are eyeing up moves to sign Drameh this summer, with Preston North End and Strasbourg named alongside Derby and Rangers.

Hull Live reveals, though, that the Tigers are not ‘actively’ looking to cash in on the defender, although they would be prepared to consider offers in excess of £1m for his services.

Rangers should, now, push hard to win the race for Drameh’s signature before the end of the summer transfer window, because he could improve Martin’s options at right-back.

Why Cody Drameh could be an upgrade on James Tavernier

As aforementioned, Tavernier’s defensive work has left a lot to be desired for Rangers and bringing in the Hull star could improve the team defensively because of the qualities that he can provide down the right flank.

The 23-year-old star, who was once described as a “Duracell bunny” by former Cardiff City boss Steve Morison, is a solid defender who can lock up opposition wingers week-in-week-out.

Ex-Leeds player Ben Parker previously hailed the full-back’s defensive qualities, saying: “Cody Drameh, his strength is one v one defending. He loves defending. There has not been too many players I’ve seen this season that gets the better of him in a one v one duel. I love to see that.”

Drameh has averaged 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game across his entire club career to date, compared to Tavernier’s 3.1 per match, and his defensive statistics in the 2024/25 campaign in particular suggest that he could be a terrific addition for Rangers.

Tackles

4.04

Top 1%

Tackles in defensive third

2.57

Top 1%

Dribblers challenged

4.15

Top 1%

Dribblers tackled

2.46

Top 1%

Tackles + interceptions

5.08

Top 1%

Errors

0.0

Top 23%

As you can see in the table above, the Hull star ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in the Championship in a host of key defensive metrics, winning tackles and challenges in his own half and preventing wingers from getting by him with dribbles.

He also ended the Championship season without a single error that directly led to a shot or goal for the opposition, compared to Tavernier’s four, which suggests that he would be far more reliable in the right-back slot.

As Parker claimed, Drameh ‘loves defending’ and the same could not be said of Tavernier after aforementioned his mistakes for the Gers, which have cost them, particularly in the Europa League.

The Hull defender is also ten years younger than the Rangers captain and could be the long-term option for Martin in the right-back position, as a big defensive upgrade on the former Newcastle man.

As important as selling Propper: Five clubs now want to sign Rangers flop

Five teams are eyeing up a deal for a Rangers flop should be sold as well as Robin Propper.

ByDan Emery Jun 10, 2025

With Matheus Cunha seemingly on his way to Manchester United this summer, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly set to submit a £29m bid to sign their potential replacement.

Man Utd close in on Cunha

Cunha’s Wolves departure has looked inevitable rather than possible ever since he put pen to paper on a deal which included a £63m release clause in January. The Brazilian stayed put in the winter window, but on that one condition. Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, it’s Manchester United who are set to take full advantage of that release clause this summer.

The inevitability of Cunha’s exit hasn’t always seen the forward keep his home fans onside, either, and he has done himself no favours throughout the campaign by keeping up a poor disciplinary record on the pitch.

What those suspensions have done, however, is hand Vitor Pereira a glimpse into life without Cunha. And whilst it would have been easy to assume that glimpse would spell undeniable disaster for Wolves, the reality couldn’t be more different.

Without their star man, Wolves put together an impressive three game winning run, which then turned into six once he returned. It was a run that led to their Premier League safety and one that Pereira celebrated by joining his supporters at the local pub.

Whether a toast was raised to Cunha is doubtful, but there’s no denying that Wolves will still need to replace the Man United-bound star regardless of that impressive run without him. And that has reportedly seen them turn their attention towards another Brazilian forward.

Wolves set to table Yuri Alberto offer

According to reports in Brazil, as relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves are now set to table an offer worth €35m (£30m) to sign Yuri Alberto this summer. Pereira has reportedly specifically requested the 23-year-old Corinthians forward who he worked with during his time at the Brazilian club and could now get his man when the summer arrives.

Yuri Alberto under Pereira	Record (via Transfermarkt)
Appearances	28
Goals	11
Assists	2

A young forward who was just finding his best form at the time, Alberto has since blossomed into an impressive striker who is ready for a move into European football.

Described as “clinical” by South American football expert Nathan Joyes, the Brazilian could instantly form a partnership full of promise with Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has enjoyed an impressive season in his own right under Pereira.

Wolves battle Borussia Dortmund for 18 y/o starlet with £10m release clause

Wolves are among the teams chasing a young star, who is out of contract in December.

By
Brett Worthington

May 19, 2025

Get things right and Cunah will be a name of the past, rather than a regretful star lost. Pereira has already proven that he is more than capable of getting the best out of his current squad without his standout star, but the arrival of Alberto could help the Portuguese manager take Wolves beyond simply surviving in the Premier League.

After misfielding on his first touch in international cricket, India’s latest allrounder did not look back and grabbed his first opportunity as if it was his last

Sreshth Shah at Eden Gardens05-Nov-2018Krunal Pandya’s first touch in international cricket was disastrous. Moments after making his debut, he was chasing a Shai Hope drive to the boundary off the evening’s second delivery.Krunal had covered the ground in a flash by sprinting towards the boundary. But just as he slid across the ground to parry the ball back, it inadvertently slipped through his fingers and touched the boundary rope. A despondent Krunal was left with retrieveing the ball from beyond the boundary.Starting your India career with an error is not the best of starts. But that first mistake would also be his last in a dream debut that saw India clinch a five-wicket win against West Indies in the series opener.Introduced in the eighth over by captain Rohit Sharma, Krunal conceded ten off his first over. He could not quite gauge the turn offered by the pitch, and after two consecutive wides down the leg side, Krunal had been deposited by Kieron Pollard over long-off. Team-mates in the IPL, Pollard would have faced Krunal countless times over the past three years in the Mumbai Indians nets, and it looked like the West Indian allrounder had a one-up over his Indian counterpart after the first-over bout. But in his second over, a composed Krunal quickly made amends.The first ball of his second over rapped Pollard on the pads, a tight lbw shout turned down. But the next delivery, a quicker one that skidded through, was smacked right down long-on’s throat once the fielder was positioned straighter after that previous six. Krunal had earned his maiden international wicket, and he did not hesitate to blow kisses towards Pollard as he trodded his way back to the pavillion at 47 for 4.”He’s (Pollard) like a brother to me,” Krunal told after the match. “And to get him as the first international wicket is a special thing for me because I’ve been very close to him. During the game itself, I was teasing him that I got his wicket. The kisses at the end was my love for Pollard after getting him out.”Krunal did not add to his wickets tally from there but he also did not concede any more boundaries after that, finishing with 1 for 15 off his four overs, going for only five runs off his final 18 deliveries.Krunal Pandya blows a kiss to Kieron Pollard after getting his wicket•Associated PressIt must have helped that Krunal was being captained by his leader at Mumbai Indians. In the IPL, Rohit had utilised Krunal’s skills brilliantly in the middle overs, using the left-arm spinner’s accuracy to plug the flow of runs. In Kolkata, it was much of the same, as he let the debutant place his fielders just as he wished and backed him without adding any pressure.”I have played a lot under Rohit, under 40-50 games of IPL under him,” Krunal said. “The best part about playing under him is he allows you to express yourself, whether you’re bowling or batting. He keeps things simple and he just says that whate​​ver you want, I’ll give you. Whether fielding or batting also, he never gives you pressure.”Rohit may not have exerted any pressure on him, but the scoreboard surely did when Krunal walked in to bat in the chase. India were at 83 for 5 after 15 overs, with 27 runs to get, and Krunal joined Dinesh Karthik amidst stunned silence after Manish Pandey’s dismissal. Another wicket and India’s weak tail would have been exposed.But Krunal has been in such situations before. For Mumbai Indians, he has played the role of the finisher fairly well in the past. Remember his Man-of-the-Match performance in the IPL 2017 final? India needed a similar innings from Krunal and, of course, he delivered.With another finisher in Karthik at the other end, Krunal quickly soaked in all the pressure built up by dot balls. He took a single off his first, ran a hard double off his second, and by the time he had faced the third ball, Krunal was batting like this was his 50th international match and not his first. The experience of playing over 50 T20s overall was showing. When Fabian Allen floated one up, maybe tempting the batsman to slog, Krunal quickly shuffled across the line and executed a reverse paddle towards the third-man boundary for four. India needed a comfortable 16 off 24 now.In the next over, Krunal dabbed one fine off left-arm spinner Kharry Pierre to beat short-third man, and with 10 runs to go when the 18th over began, he nonchalantly flicked Keemo Paul off his pads to the deep-midwicket boundary. He got the winning runs in style, driving over cover and jogging back for the second, to seal the chase with 13 balls left. He finished with 21 off just nine balls – the best strike rate (233.33) among all batsmen on the evening.When asked whether he felt any nerves before going in to bat at No. 7, Krunal said, “Not at all, no butterflies at all to be honest. I told myself that I have prepared before this tournament and I have been waiting for this opportunity. Then why should I take pressure at that particular moment? So I was completely enjoying myself when I was there. I was just thinking about how I started playing and that this is my moment, so I can’t let go from here.”Hardik Pandya gets a kiss from brother Krunal after taking Mumbai Indians home•BCCIThis is what Krunal had worked towards for the past three years. He had seen his younger brother Hardik catapult his way into the India team, and he himself had to wait. Hardik, currently out with a back injury, told his brother to play “fearless cricket”, and Krunal displayed exactly that with both ball and bat. Some say that Krunal is fighting for Hardik’s spot as the allrounder in the India team, but the brothers don’t see it that way.”We don’t compete with each other,” Krunal said after the match. “Hardik is a completely different category, he’s a fast-bowling allrounder and I’m a spinning allrounder. So I doubt we need to compete. I’d love to play with him, rather than competing with him. I’ve mentioned before also, whenever he does well, I feel so happy. And whenever I do well, he feels so happy. There is no rivalry. We are so worried about each other [when the other is in action].”Before this series he was teasing me that, ‘Keep my name, go and perform’. I told him, ‘Okay, just make sure I don’t overtake you’. It was all banter, that’s how my relationship is with Hardik. Just before the game when I was with him before joining the team, he told me, ‘Just go out there and play fearless cricket, what you’ve been doing’. That’s the only advice – apart from that I guess Hardik can’t give anything.”It hardly looked like it was Krunal’s first international match. He looked like a man who was always in control. Perhaps, it was the long wait since his breakthrough IPL season that moulded him for this moment, perhaps it was the advantage of having a brother who has been here before, or perhaps, it was Krunal’s attitude of making it count in his first match itself.”Honestly, I have been waiting for my opportunities,” he said. “I was preparing myself before the tournament – whether playing IPL or domestic cricket – but my ultimate goal was to play for India from childhood.”But lately I was desperately waiting for my opportunity. And I told myself, I don’t need two-three games, I just need one game, because that’s how I prepared myself. I like whenever there is a pressure situation, because I work hard for that situation, not for the easy one. So whenever I get those kind of situations, I feel, ‘Okay, here I can be a hero’. So whenever I see this kind of situation, I love it.”With Rohit leading him for the next two games in Lucknow and Chennai, don’t be surprised if Krunal’s all-round performances make him a regular member of India’s T20 set-up soon, and perhaps, even a candidate for the 50-over World Cup squad next year.

Since being left out of the ODI side last year, he warmed the bench for three Tests in SA and four in England, but didn’t wait to perform as soon as he returned to the 50-overs game

Shashank Kishore in Dubai21-Sep-20181:44

Dasgupta: Jadeja a ‘good headache’ for India

Much before he formally marked his ODI return after more than a year, Ravindra Jadeja was the first to enter the field before play on Friday. He walked up to the pitch, measured his run-up, bowled three imaginary balls, fielded a drive off his own bowling, fired an imaginary throw, looked back and even belted an imaginary appeal. Then he high-fived his team-mates, shared pleasantries with VVS Laxman, engaged in an animated discussion with L Sivaramakrishnan, and then joined the huddle. These were signs of clear delight that he was back, even though he exuded the body language of someone who never left.Only a week ago, Jadeja was in Jamnagar, tending to his two horses, spending time at Rann of Kutch – a barren desert of white sand – to promote Gujarat tourism. He lent finishing touches to his farmhouse titled ‘RJ’, spent time at his restaurant in Rajkot and trained for two days with his Saurashtra team at their pre-season camp in Delhi before the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s domestic 50-over competition.On Thursday morning, he was to prepare for Saurashtra’s match against Delhi at Feroz Shah Kotla. Instead, he was asked to board a flight to Dubai for the Asia Cup. He was to replace Axar Patel, who had injured his finger at training. Incidentally, Jadeja had replaced Axar last year too, during the home ODIs against Australia, after initially being told “he was rested.” At the time, Axar had picked up a freak injury while playing football, but Jadeja couldn’t break into the XI, and found himself out of the squad after the series.Time away from the ODI squad was spent soaking in life. He’s now a father, runs businesses in Rajkot, has become a training freak. He also likes to experiment with his facial hair, hairstyles and outfits. What he doesn’t like to experiment with, though, are his bowling methods that have yielded 368 international wickets.He bowls flat, fast and doesn’t give the batsmen any time between deliveries, bowling like a timed machine which is programmed to finish an over in 35 seconds. It’s this no-frills variety of left-arm spin that earned him four wickets upon returning to the side for the first time since the tour of the West Indies in July last year.Jadeja picked four wickets in five matches at an average of 62.25, while conceding 5.92 runs per over at last year’s Champions Trophy. In the West Indies series that followed, he couldn’t pick a wicket in two ODIs. The selectors then left him out, but insisted he was still part of their plans along with R Ashwin. But, when Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav turned into a formidable bowling partnership, Jadeja was jettisoned.Jadeja may have been hurt, but it didn’t show. He was still picking wickets at home in Tests, toured South Africa where he couldn’t get a game, featured in the IPL, played Afghanistan’s inaugural Test and warmed the bench for four Tests in England before returning to salvage a floundering first-innings in the fifth with 86 not out at The Oval. He also picked seven wickets. And so while he was away for a year from the ODI set-up, he was always on the periphery, waiting to jump in at the first available opportunity.Ravindra Jadeja appeals•Associated PressPrior to Friday, Jadeja, incidentally, had last picked an ODI wicket against Bangladesh at the Champions Trophy. That was of Shakib Al Hasan, and he dismissed Shakib again in his very first over on return, brought about by a superb on-field partnership between him, MS Dhoni and captain Rohit Sharma.Jadeja had just been swept by Shakib for a boundary behind square off a full and flat delivery. As Jadeja was about to run in for the next ball, Dhoni stopped him, chatted with Rohit, and Shikhar Dhawan was swiftly moved from midwicket to square leg. Jadeja nodded and slowed it down outside off, allowing the ball to grip and spin in from a length. Shakib wanted to clear the vacant midwicket region but was done in by the bounce and ended up dragging it to Dhawan at square leg. The move worked and Jadeja struck in his first over.The Bangladesh batsmen struggled to pick which deliveries were going to turn and those that were going straight. Loose balls were few and far in between. This was aided by swift work inside the ring. Now, the batsmen had to manufacture shots. Mohammad Mithun failed once looking to reverse paddle. Mushfiqur Rahim tried to teach him a lesson in execution, but the pressure of dot balls and a stalled run rate showed, and he spooned a simple catch to short third man. This was a typical Jadeja choke.A slow turning delivery and a full dart had brought him two wickets. Then he turned to bowl in the rough created by Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s footmarks. His biggest threat on turners are those that skid straight through. Some batsmen try to play him off the pitch and are beaten by the fizz. Mithun learnt his lessons the hard way, prodding forward and playing outside the line for turn, only for the ball to fizz through to beat the inside edge and trap him plumb.From overs 16 to 30, Bangladesh scored just one boundary. Jadeja fired in five match-turning overs out of those, that built pressure and led to a downward spiral at the first sign of attack. This was the mastery of a man who has grown up bowling on (flat) wickets in Rajkot, where accuracy is king, where there’s little or no margin for error. ‘Sir’ Jadeja left a mark immediately upon return.

Celtic are all but confirmed Scottish Premiership champions after last weekend’s results, and Brendan Rodgers is already putting in work behind the scenes to bolster his squad for next campaign.

Celtic on the brink of being confirmed as champions

Brendan Rodgers’ changes worked a treat on home soil as Celtic saw off Kilmarnock in style to put the champagne on ice before the split.

Rangers may have clawed their way to an extended reprieve with a draw at Aberdeen the following day. Still, even the most optimistic of their supporters know it is only a matter of time before the Scottish Premiership crown heads to the east end of Glasgow.

Despite the popular misconception that both sides of the divide are competitors on an equal footing, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Should Celtic obtain a point from their first post-split outing, they will have won 13 out of the last 14 available titles by next weekend.

Unsurprisingly, Rodgers is already making strides on the transfer front to build for the new campaign, with Mathias Kvistgaarden on the agenda at Parkhead following his excellent form at Brondby.

Furthermore, the Bhoys are reportedly keen on a surprise move for Newcastle United’s Martin Dubravka. The Slovakia international may be available this summer, potentially creating movement between the sticks despite Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel’s presence at the club.

Ruthless Brendan Rodgers could now get rid of big Celtic names this summer

The Hoops manager isn’t messing around.

1 ByHenry Jackson Apr 13, 2025

Celtic’s involvement in Champions League qualifiers next term has placed time pressure on new arrivals. Rodgers won’t want any delays as his side look to bed in future contributors.

Now, the Bhoys are believed to have an exciting winger in their sights that could add a new dynamic to his squad once the transfer window opens.

Celtic eye summer move for EFL Championship star

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are eyeing a move for Stoke City star Million Manhoef as Rodgers views the Netherlands Under-21 cap as a potential squad signing for next season.

The 23-year-old was brought to the Potters for £3 million last summer, and it is likely that is the most he would cost with his current employers now at threat of relegation to the English third-tier.

Celtic’s depth out wide – do they need another winger?

Jota

Only joined in January, likely to be key going forward.

Nicolas Kuhn

Could be susceptible to departure if interest arises.

Daizen Maeda

May be permanently moved to centre-forward this summer.

James Forrest

Veteran who will see out his career at Celtic.

Hyunjun Yang

Likely to stay at Parkhead after recent improvement.

Luis Palma

On loan at Olympiacos and certain to depart.

Conclusion: Celtic need another winger to maintain adequate squad depth.

Labelled “tricky” by journalist Dean Jones, Manhoef has registered six goals and four assists in 35 appearances this campaign and was a former target for city rivals Rangers. Formerly of Vitesse Arnhem, he has also created 48 chances and completed 48 dribbles on league duty since moving to the bet365 Stadium.

Now, Celtic appear to be firmly in the mix for his signature, which will come as a relief to supporters who are keen to see another body in the wide areas to ensure adequate cover is available.

Parag, after enjoying a breakout IPL season, said his statement exuded belief in himself and not arrogance

PTI29-May-2024Riyan Parag is confident of representing India at some point in the future. The 22-year-old is coming off a superb season with Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024, where he struck 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike-rate of 149.21.”At some point, you’ll have to take me, right? So that is my belief, I’m going to play for India,” Parag was quoted as saying by . “I don’t really care when. [Even] when I was not scoring runs – I said this in an [earlier] interview as well that I am going to play for India.”That is me believing in myself. That is not me being arrogant. That is what my plan was with my dad [former Railways and Assam player Parag Das], when I started playing cricket when I was like 10-years old. We were going to play for India regardless of anything.”Related

• Riyan Parag: 'I wanted to know more about my game, because I've been lost inside those 22 yards too many times'

• Back in style – the stars who raised their game in IPL 2024

• IPL 2024: Kohli, Parag in ESPNcricinfo's team of the tournament

India will travel to Zimbabwe after their T20 World Cup campaign to play five T20Is, and Parag could be among the players to find a place in the side. His focus, currently, is on getting there.”Whether it’s the next tour, whether it’s a tour in six months, whether it’s a tour in one year… I don’t really put my thought behind when I should play,” Parag said. “That is the selector’s job, that is other people’s job.”Parag came into this IPL after failing to reach 200 runs in any of the five previous seasons. But his promotion from the lower-middle order to No.4, the spot in which he bats for his state, Assam, provided the point of familiarity from where he could lift off.”What you saw this year in the IPL is how I play domestic cricket,” Parag said. “I take the onus up to myself, I take the expectations, I take the burden upon myself to deliver and that is why I play the best.”I was not doing that in the IPL. I was taking way too much pressure, keeping my expectations way too high and not doing the basic things right. That is what I figured I had to do this year; of playing at my favourite position as well, No 4. I was like, okay, ‘I do this at domestic cricket, this is the same thing I’m going to do in IPL and let’s see how it goes’. It worked out perfectly.”I had a lot of rough seasons, more than nice ones and I feel having that constant belief in yourself, that you actually belong in this level, that you can actually do things that you [had] dreamt of, has been a constant and that will stay throughout.”RR won eight out of their first nine games this season but then lost four games in a row and finished their campaign with a loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, one that Parag acknowledges was disappointing.”I’m still dealing with it. I got back home and I was super sad,” he said. “The night after the game, it didn’t really sink in. But then the day after the match and before the final, it was tough.”It’s tough, but then that’s how cricket goes. There are world-class sides that are playing the tournament, world-class players that are playing the tournament [and you can’t always win].”

It’s barely been three months since the end of Sri Lanka’s ill-fated World Cup campaign, but things are already looking up, according to head coach Chris Silverwood, who has been impressed by his side’s showings so far, particularly in the last two ODIs against Afghanistan.Sri Lanka won both games by 42 and 155 runs respectively, with the batters piling on the runs on pitches that have been flatter than the surfaces traditional seen in Sri Lanka. Silverwood, much like Charith Asalanka two days prior, was pleased that SLC had taken his suggestion to curate flatter wickets to heart.”If we just look at 50-over cricket for the moment, our game plan is better suited to good wickets,” Silverwood said on the eve of the third ODI against Afghanistan. “I asked for flat wickets and thankfully I got the support in that from the powers that be.””For how we want to play our cricket, the nature of how we want to play it, then we need good wickets to do that. And to also allow players the opportunity to galvanise that game plan through the fact that you can go out and do it time and time again. Slow, low wickets don’t suit us to do that.”For me the wickets have been excellent here [in Pallekele]. Yes, we’ve seen lots of runs, but that’s what we want. We need to be able to put up those big scores and then we need to be able to defend them.”Related

• Asalanka pitches for batting-friendly tracks in Sri Lanka

• Binura Fernando comes in for injured Chameera for Afghanistan T20Is

• Mujeeb out of SL T20Is due to injury

In terms of defending those big totals, in the first game, despite Sri Lanka piling on a mammoth 381, Afghanistan ran them close only falling at the final hurdle following a spirited chase. In the second game however, with 308 defend, Sri Lanka’s bowlers made life much tougher for Afghanistan, ultimately resulting in a monumental collapse where the visitors lost their final eight wickets for just 25 runs.For Silverwood, this outcome was especially satisfying as it had been a result of the players actively taking on board and implementing the feedback from the coaching staff.”After the first game I thought there was plenty of room for improvement,” Silverwood said. “So we sat the lads down – all of them, not just the bowlers – and we showed them using the Hawk-Eye data what we were talking about. The areas that we bowled, the lengths that we bowled, what was and wasn’t successful, and talked about how we were going to tighten that up. And they did it beautifully in the last game.”Other things that we use is first and sixth ball – can you start your over well and finish your over well? Can you push the pressure back on to the batsman, and make them play the big shot? Rather than giving runs either side of the over. And it’s the job of the next bowler to pick up where they left off. So you’re constantly trying to build that pressure on to the batsman. And I think you saw us do that, particularly in the last game. We saw that with the boundary count coming down.”Sri Lanka’s spin-bowling coach Craig Howard and Wanindu Hasaranga at a training session•AFP/Getty Images

While Wanindu Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers in the second ODI, grabbing four wickets, another who was particularly impressive was Asitha Fernando. Playing his first ODI in over a year, he returned figures of 2 for 23 in six overs, but those wickets were crucial as they broke the only two significant partnerships of the Afghanistan innings.Silverwood, who has been working closely with the Sri Lankan seamers, was full of praise for Fernando, who up until then had been primarily categorised as a Test bowler.”He certainly put his best foot forward in the last game,” Silverwood said. “The way he turned up on short notice, and the way he performed was fantastic. The skills that he’s got – what he showed us during the Test match – lend themselves very well to one-day cricket as well. The way that he can hit length hard time and time again, the lines that he bowls are very tight, and he’s got a very accurate bouncer.”For me, we need to keep pushing him on, keep working on that slower ball so he has that variation, but as for the basic skillset required to be successful in 50-over white-ball cricket he certainly showed he’s got that in the last game.”Going forward, the plan unsurprisingly is to build towards stability so that Sri Lanka can have a far better showing at the next ODI World Cup in 2027.”We are in that building phase again now, we’re building for that World Cup, and we have to make sure that we put all the building blocks in place,” Silverwood said. “So when we do arrive there we’re in a good place, everybody’s got experience under their belt, everybody knows their roles, and everybody has had success along the way as well so they carry that confidence with them.”

Bangladesh Under-19s, who had beaten India Under-19s in the Asia Cup in December last year, threatened to cause another stir when left-arm seamer Maruf Mridha took five wickets in the Under-19 World Cup in Bloemfontein. Maruf’s strikes kept India to 251 for 7, but Saumy Pandey trumped Maruf with 4 for 24 and bowled his team to victory.Musheer Khan, the younger brother of Sarfaraz Khan, pitched in with two wickets, including that of Mohammad Shihab James, who top-scored for Bangladesh with 54 off 77 balls. The rest of the batters collapsed around James as Bangladesh were bowled out for 167 in 45.5 overs. Musheer also effected a direct-hit to sink Bangladesh. Pandey was the most economical bowler on the day, conceding just 2.44 an over.Earlier in the day, India’s innings was built around half-centuries from opener Adarsh Singh (76 off 96) and captain Uday Saharan (64 off 94). Aravelly Avinash (23 off 17), who was picked by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2024 auction, and Sachin Dhas (26 off 20) then gave the innings some late impetus.Shahzaib Khan almost batted through the innings, scoring 106 from 126 balls•ICC via Getty Images

Ubaid Shah, the younger brother of Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Zeeshan, who has been part of Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL, took seven wickets between them to skittle Afghanistan Under-19s for 103 in their chase of 285 in East London.Opener batting Shahzaib Khan had laid the platform for Pakistan Under-19s’ 181-run victory with 106 off 126 balls. His knock contained ten fours and three sixes. He added 92 for the third wicket with Saad Baig, who hit 55 off 52 balls, to set Pakistan up for a big total. Khalil Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan, returning 4 for 51 in his ten overs.Pakistan’s total looked even bigger when Ubaid and Zeeshan ripped through Afghanistan’s top and middle orders. Wicketkeeper-batter Numan Shah was the only Afghanistan batter to pass 25 in the chase. Amir Hassan and Ahmed Hussain picked up a wicket each as Pakistan bundled Afghanistan out in 26.2 overs.Luc Benkenstein picked up key wickets in the middle overs•ICC via Getty Images

England Under-19s enjoyed a winning start to the Under-19 World Cup, easing past Scotland Under-19s in Potchefstroom.Luc Benkenstein, the son of former South Africa international Dale, sealed the victory with an unbeaten cameo after setting it up for England with a three-wicket haul. Farhan Ahmed, who is the brother of England international Rehan, also bagged a three-wicket haul to help England dismiss Scotland for 174.Captain Ben McKinney then hit 88 off 68 balls to rush his side to victory, with seven wickets and 142 balls to spare. He forged a 106-run partnership for the first wicket with Jaydn Denly, who made 40 off 50 balls.After Scotland were asked to bat first, they never got going and lost wickets in clusters. They didn’t even have a single half-century stand in their entire innings. Owen Gould top-scored for them with 48 off 61 balls, including five fours and a six. The other nine batters scored a combined five boundaries. Harry Armstrong was absent hurt for Scotland.