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Nottingham Forest have now joined the race to sign a “special” £25 million international winger, according to a new report.

Nottingham Forest in contact to sign new striker after Jesus

The Reds have made two signings so far this summer, both of whom arrived from Brazilian side Botafogo. But given the club are looking to go deep into the UEFA Conference League as well as achieve further success in the Premier League, then Nuno Espirito Santo will be wanting more arrivals before the Premier League season gets underway.

Nottingham Forest among frontrunners for £20m+ Elanga replacement after talks

The Reds are progressing in talks to sign a player who will replace the departed Anthony Elanga.

1 ByBrett Worthington Jul 13, 2025

Igor Jesus, who is a striker, is one of the two players to arrive at the City Ground this summer, and he will join Chris Wood, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Emmanuel Dennis as the contracted forwards at Forest, but the latter could be free to leave the club given he has fallen down the pecking order. Meanwhile, Awoniyi’s return to action is unknown, and therefore, Forest are in the market for another centre-forward.

According to recent reports abroad, Forest have made contact with Inter Milan over the signing of Mehdi Taremi. Fulham and Turkish outfit Besiktas were already in the race to sign Taremi, but the Reds have now added his name to the list, with all three teams making contact with Inter but are now waiting for the striker to decide his next move. He could cost any side as much as £6.8 million.

Nottingham Forest join Everton in race to sign "special" £25m winger

As well as looking at new forward options, the Reds are also looking at who could replace Anthony Elanga, and according to The Express, Forest have registered their interest in signing Ben Doak from Liverpool.

Unfortunately for Forest, they are not the only team from the Premier League interested in the winger, as Doak is a “leading target” for Everton, as they have made an enquiry, but the likes of Bournemouth and Crystal Palace have also submitted enquiries about signing Doak.

It goes on to add that Doak, who has earned six caps for Scotland to date, would be open to leaving Anfield this summer, after returning from his loan spell at Middlesbrough. The 19-year-old is out of contract next summer, and therefore, Liverpool could be open to letting Doak leave, should they receive an offer worth £25 million.

This is despite the fact he has played just 10 times for the Premier League champions, but Liverpool will see his loan spell at Boro as a productive campaign, as he scored three goals in 24 league games.

Apps

24

Starts

21

Goals

3

xG

4.40

Shots per game

1.1

Goal conversion

11%

Assists

7

xAG

4.52

Big chances created

7

Key passes

1.9

Successful dribbles

1.5 (40%)

Doak is a player who is admired by a lot of clubs, and it may not come as much of a surprise, given former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp labelled Doak “special”. Klopp said: “Special boy. Really confident, has something nobody else delivers, really, this kind of dribbling, this kind of straight-forward bravery, all these kinds of things.”

The left-hander has joined Sydney Thunder following his earlier move back to New South Wales

Andrew McGlashan21-Aug-2024A return to Test cricket is at the forefront of Nic Maddinson’s mind, as he looks to bring last season’s strong finish in the Sheffield Shield to New South Wales after his winter return home, while he also hopes to reignite his T20 career after completing a double switch by joining Sydney Thunder.Maddinson hit three centuries in three Shield matches in the second half of last season for Victoria after missing the first part of the summer through injury before opting to move back to where his career began in Sydney.Those performances stood out in a Shield season where runs were hard to come by and started to have Maddinson’s name mentioned for a possible return to Test cricket. His previous three Tests came in 2016-17 against South Africa and Pakistan when the selectors revamped the batting order, but he made just 27 runs in four innings.Related

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“Probably [think about it] most days to be fair,” Maddinson told ESPNcricinfo. “Obviously throughout the winter and off season you have other stuff and family at home, but when you start coming into cricket, we’ve been outdoor training on the centre wickets, [Josh] Hazlewood and [Mitchell] Starc have started to roll through, it’s hard not to think about the progression of your career.”I love playing the game and want to help New South Wales win but also from a personal point of view still feel like I offer something at international cricket and would love to have that chance again. There’s a lot of motivations for people and still playing for Australia is there for me.”He also believes there is no comparison to the player he is now to the one who first played Test cricket. Overall in six seasons with Victoria he averaged 50.63 in Shield cricket.Nic Maddinson made three hundreds in three Shield matches last season•Getty Images”Ten times better, maybe more,” he said. “Think I’m probably a much better player than I was even three or four years ago. Felt like Shield runs last year were pretty hard to come by on some of the wickets we got dished up. Opening the batting was always a great spot to bat but it was never really my strength. To be able to score the runs I did last year gave me a lot of confidence, being able to adapt and play a different style. As you look to progress career you have to adapt and last year felt I really made some good progress.”Maddinson’s prolific finish to the Shield came off the back of a difficult BBL campaign for Melbourne Renegades where he was dropped despite being captain after 48 runs in four innings. He had come into the tournament on the back of very little cricket after recovering from an ACL injury. His overall T20 record is underwhelming with an average of 20.30 from 134 innings but he hopes to reinvigorate his game with Thunder.”I’ve been pretty disappointed with how I’ve been probably since I left the Sydney Sixers [in 2018] to be fair,” he said. “I really found it challenging going into BBL off not much cricket [last season] having had such a long break. For me, what’s important is having a decent block of longer-form cricket to channel into BBL and then expand your game from there.”There’s definitely stages in people’s careers where you have a bit of a lull in formats and can bounce back. Last year was a bit disappointing for me because the only thing holding me back from feeling like I was going to do well was just the amount of game time. There were a few technical changes and bad habits I’d got into from practising for T20 that took away from the overall structure of my batting. Going forward it’s about trying to find a game plan that works regardless of where I fit in in the order.”Joining Thunder means there is the prospect of Maddinson opening with David Warner, with whom he shared a Shield opening stand of 233 in 2011 after he was confirmed as having full availability for the season”Think I opened with him for the very first time when I was 16 in a 2nd XI game,” Maddinson said. “To think we could be batting together again, it’s been quite a long time. That top order, you put Cam Bancroft into that, Ollie Davies, Sam Billings, it’s quite a nice-looking line-up and hopefully I have a role in that somewhere.”

Milos Kerkez is edging toward a move from Bournemouth to Liverpool, with sporting director Richard Hughes discussing the final details with his successor in the Cherries transfer seat.

This in itself is a fantastic deal for Anfield, whose veteran left-back Andy Robertson is an “absolute legend” but one “hanging on in every game” for Arne Slot’s side this season, says pundit Jamie Carragher.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold signing for Real Madrid at the end of his Liverpool contract, it was also important for FSG to welcome a successor, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong has been picked as the man for the job, signed for £29.5m.

Further change is afoot higher up the field, but Liverpool have already shown a willingness to secure a new centre-back this summer, pushing to sign Dean Huijsen before he rejected a wealth of Premier League interest for Real Madrid.

Why Liverpool need a defender

Virgil van Dijk is now a two-time Premier League winner, dominant and immense as the captain guided his team through the campaign with elite consistency.

It’s brilliant that Van Dijk signed a new deal on Merseyside, extending his stay for two more years, but he turns 34 next month and Liverpool need to find a long-term heir.

That could have been Huijsen, who was hailed as “the perfect left centre-back” by analyst Ben Mattinson after his campaign on the south coast. Complete in an age-belying fashion, the Spain international, only 20, would have secured Liverpool’s backline for years to come, had he joined.

And though FSG are big on acting upon unique market opportunities, they must surely recognise the need for a fallback. Ibrahima Konate arrived in 2021, and no first-team centre-back has since followed him.

Konate, moreover, is being courted by Los Blancos, who want to snap him up as a free agent next summer. Liverpool are currently locked in talks over a new deal with their French defender.

Given Jarell Quansah’s future is also uncertain, a Huijsen alternative to ease the burden on Van Dijk and co would be great, and the Premier League champions have identified the man for the job.

Liverpool begin move for new CB

As per Caught Offside, Liverpool have entered the race for Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae, with sources close to the South Korean claiming he will be allowed to leave the Allianz Arena this summer.

With the various parties all seeking a swift resolution, Bayern have reduced their asking price from €50m (£44m) to about €35m (£30m), which would work well for the Reds given their need for reinforcements across a myriad of positions.

With Chelsea and Newcastle United also exploring a move, Liverpool would be wise to take their interest up a notch, ready to pounce.

What Kim Min-Jae would bring to Liverpool

Kim has struggled to truly hit his stride for Bayern, but certainly showcased his quality as an elite-level central defender when in the Serie A with Napoli, heralded as an “iron barrel” of a player by his former teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

According to Luciano Spalletti, former Napoli boss, Kim has the minerals to become “the best centre-back in the world”, keeping 14 clean sheets from 35 matches as the Blues won the Scudetto in 2022/23, a colossus in protecting his side’s goal.

A player capable of getting stuck in and performing with a more elegant touch, Kim’s is the prototypical modern profile, his strength suggesting he would thrive in the rigorous Premier League.

Bayern signed the 28-year-old from Napoli in July 2023 after meeting his £43m release clause, and though he’s since recovered the Bundesliga from Leverkusen after missing out in his debut term, it hasn’t been the smoothest sailing for the left-sided defender, who made four direct errors leading to a goal this term, as per Sofascore.

Still, such lapses haven’t prevented the £194k-per-week titan from producing otherwise impressive performances, completing 93% of his passes, averaging 5.7 ball recoveries per game and winning 65% of his aerial battles.

His aerial dominance, crisp and progressive passing and left-sided berth suggest Kim could be the perfect foil for Van Dijk, especially when data-led site FBref suggest the two players bear a tactical likeness.

Goals

0.09

0.08

Assists

0.02

0.00

Touches

87.13

103.14

Pass completion

91.7%

92.9%

Progressive passes

5.05

6.45

Shot-creating actions

1.19

1.02

Progressive carries

0.50

0.62

Ball recoveries

3.11

5.51

Tackles + interceptions

2.31

3.06

Clearances

4.55

3.60

Aerials won

2.85

3.06

Securing a new centre-half who can ease Van Dijk’s defensive burden wouldn’t be a bad thing, especially with Liverpool determined to go one better than this term and compete for silverware across four different major fronts.

There’s clearly a likeness to the players, who both employ confident passing games but maintain creative flair too. Moreover, they are persistent commanders of aerial traffic, directing whipped-in danger away from the box.

If Liverpool wish to maximise the time they have left with their legendary skipper, overloading him with minutes might not actually be the best track to take. Instead, Van Dijk could thrive in an environment that allows him to step away from the action without sending Slot’s system into a spin.

Kim’s similarities to the Dutchman would allow him to do exactly that, regarded in the past as ‘the South Korean Van Dijk.’

Given Quansah was used so sparingly this season, and indeed Konate’s future is uncertain (as is his fitness, routinely missing chunks of the campaign), this would be the perfect, affordable deal for an experienced and dynamic defender who could fill in for the captain or play alongside him.

He'd be incredible with Wirtz: £80m star dreaming of signing for Liverpool

Liverpool are making some serious moves in the transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 6, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have now held advanced talks to appoint a “phenomenal” manager as a replacement for Ange Postecoglou, according to journalist Tancredi Palmeri.

Sack looming for Postecoglou despite Europa League victory

It appears as though the Europa League triumph in Bilbao will not be enough to prevent Daniel Levy from pulling the trigger on Postecoglou, with Football Insider recently revealing thaty the decision has been made to sack the manager.

That news comes after journalist Miguel Delaney revealed the 59-year-old has very little chance of remaining in his post, saying: “As of Friday morning, Tottenham Hotspur still hadn’t made an official decision on Ange Postecoglou but the chances of staying had apparently gone down from last week’s ‘five percent’.

“His departure is still expected, whenever that may be.”

Sacking the manager who led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years will no doubt cause unrest within some pockets of the fanbase, but making the decision early will, at the very least, give any new manager an entire summer to instill a new philosophy.

According to Palmeri, who recently spoke to talkSPORT, Daniel Levy now has a top-level manager in mind as a replacement for Ange, namely Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi.

When asked about Inzaghi’s future at the San Siro, the journalist said: “The situation is that Al Hilal offered him £25million per-season for two seasons.

“I can tell you that he had advanced contacts with both Newcastle and Tottenham but at the same time, the priority for him is to stay at Inter.”

"Phenomenal" Inzaghi could be ideal Ange replacement

Tottenham’s 17th-place finish cannot be ignored, despite the Europa League triumph in Bilbao, with Ange’s side losing 22 Premier League games across the campaign, becoming the first side to lose as many without being relegated.

There is no doubting the Inter Milan manager’s talent, having led his side to the Champions League final this season, albeit coming up short in a 5-0 thrashing against Paris Saint-Germain in Munich.

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The Italian has been lauded as “phenomenal” by former Inter striker Felipe Caicedo, and he retains a stellar record across spells with Inter and Lazio, winning three Italian Cups, five Super Cups and one Serie A title in the process.

Inzaghi’s record

Matches

Points per match

Inter Milan

217

2.14

Lazio

244

1.79

It would be a shame to see Ange leave, given that he was responsible for ending Tottenham’s trophy drought, but Inzaghi, who rakes in £5.6m-a-year (£108k-a-week), could be an excellent replacement for the Australian.

Ruben Amorim has cut a frustrated figure since replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. The Portugal tactician’s candour has worked against him at times, fingers pointed toward negativity when the club needs the opposite.

But Amorim is at least clear in his vision and clear about where the Red Devils need to improve. He’s been clear about his opinion that beating Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final will not rectify the wrongs, and he’s been clear that changes are needed in the transfer market this summer.

United are down, but they aren’t out, retaining a deep-rooted appeal for players to make the move to Old Trafford. INEOS will certainly hope the club’s reputation holds sway as they look to close their first deal of the summer.

Man Utd on the verge of signing new forward

According to Fabrizio Romano, Man United will complete the signing of Matheus Cunha in the coming days, with the Wolverhampton Wanderers forward keen on wrapping up discussions and making the move to Manchester.

Cunha has a £62.5m release clause in his Wolves contract after renewing terms in January, and given that negotiations between United and the Old Gold are at an advanced stage, it seems to be the structure of the payment being the only hold-up.

What Matheus Cunha would bring to Old Trafford

Regarded as “one of the best players in the Premier League this season” by Statman Dave, Cunha may well have been the definitive factor in Wolves’ season, firing away each week to lift his team away from the relegation fodder.

He might find he’s swiftly required as a talisman at Old Trafford next season, for his efforts suggest he’s a far cry ahead of some of Amorim’s existing options.

Alejandro Garnacho is one of United’s brightest sparks, but there’s no question that he’s ebbed and flowed this year, with talks of a transfer to Chelsea or Atletico Madrid in January coming to nought.

Such clubs may return for the £65m-rated talent this summer.

Amorim and Garnacho didn’t get off to a good start, the manager dropping his 20-year-old star in December following application problems in training.

He has evident talent, but given that Cunha is expected to join, why not cash in and start afresh? To be sure, United need quite the renovation.

And when looking at the players’ respective seasons, it’s clear that Cunha is head and shoulders above the Man United man.

Matches (starts)

31 (28)

36 (23)

Goals

15

6

Assists

6

2

Shots (on target)*

3.2 (1.3)

2.3 (0.8)

Big chances missed

2

14

Pass completion

79%

83%

Big chances created

13

4

Dribbles*

1.9

0.7

Ball recoveries*

4.0

3.0

Tackles + interceptions*

1.6

1.2

Duels won*

5.6

2.8

Cunha is far more clinical, not just outscoring Garnacho (and all the rest) but doing so with style, having missed only two big chances all season. Moreover, he’s more creative and more effective, and active in the duel.

Cunha’s defensive statistics surpass Garnacho’s too, and that’s not because of Wolves’ style of play. United are hemmed in near the bottom of the Premier League table with two games left to go, having averaged 53.2% of possession each game, as per FBref.

Transfer Focus

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

The fact is, Amorim needs this kind of player in his mix. The Red Devils need a tenacious and combative forward who will work hard and shoot true, with a flair for the creative, too.

Hailed for his “incredible” performances at Molineux by his former manager Gary O’Neil, signing Cunha, regardless of United’s Europa League fate, would make a firm comment on the club’s ability to withstand adversity and still attract some of the finest players in the Premier League.

Maybe Garnacho and the £90k-per-week Wolves sensation could work in conjunction next year, but if the Argentina prospect needs to be sold to establish room and balance for this new recruit, so be it.

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ByEthan Lamb May 17, 2025

Patrick Dorgu has become a key player at Manchester United since his January move from Lecce. The Dane, who cost the Red Devils £25m up front, has already played ten times for his new club this term, although he did miss three games due to suspension.

The 20-year-old is yet to score or assist for the first time in a United shirt. However, he did win a penalty, which Bruno Fernandes converted in the Europa League Round of 16 against Real Sociedad, showing just how deadly he can be.

With that being said, it has not all been smooth sailing for the wing-back. Aside from his red card, he was recently rotated out of the team for United’s 4-1 loss away to Newcastle United, with Harry Amass stepping into his shoes.

Amass’ full debut for United

For a football fan, there probably aren’t many better birthday presents than making your professional debut, and for Man United, nonetheless. Well, that was the case for Amass, who made a substitute appearance away to Leicester City in the Premier League on his 18th birthday.

Just weeks later, the youngster, who was born in London and played for Watford’s academy originally, made his first start in the top flight. The youngster was selected to start ahead of Dorgu at left wing-back.

Indeed, it was an impressive showing from Amass, as the stats on Sofascore reflect. The 18-year-old had 31 touches of the ball, completed 85% of his passes and won two duels. He certainly performed well.

That was certainly a sentiment that football statistician Statman Dave seemed to agree with. He was full of praise for Amass, explaining that he “didn’t look out of place in senior football” at St James’ Park last weekend.

There is certainly no worry about squad depth for the Red Devils at left-wing back, with the emergence of Amass and the signing of Dorgu. Incredibly, they are adding to that depth over the summer with another new signing.

United’s latest left wing-back signing

One of the continents where big European clubs tend to find hidden gem players is South America. Well, United may have pulled off a masterclass of their own in that sense, with the signing of youngster Diego Leon.

In the middle of January, it was confirmed by BBC Sport that the 18-year-old undertook a medical at United’s Carrington training ground. The reported fee is £6m, with the left-back set to join in the summer.

Now, United are not just signing a player without first-team experience who could one day break into the fold at Old Trafford. No, Leon has actually had years of experience at first-team level for Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno.

He has already played 26 times for the club over the past couple of years, and has even managed three goals in that time, from left-back. His 2092 minutes so far equate to 23 full 90-minute games, showing his importance to the Cerro Porteno side.

In fact, his underlying stats via Sofascore from his time in professional football so far are impressive. For example, Leon played nine key passes last term, and five this season, as well as making 45 tackles and interceptions in 2024, and 11 in 2025.

Minutes

1643

450

Key passes

9

5

Pass accuracy

71.5%

76.8%

Tackles and interceptions

45

11

Aerial duels won

21

11

One person who rates the youngster highly is football analyst Ben Mattinson. Discussing Leon in December 2024, just one month before his United medical, the analyst said he “runs like a steam train”, highlighting the physicality he will bring to Old Trafford.

Leon certainly seems like a player United fans can get excited about. The 18-year-old will bring first-team experience with him to the Premier League, and he clearly has final-third flair. He could be the perfect player for Amoirm to add to his wing-back options.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Both Amass and Dorgu may well need to watch out…

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Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Wolvaardt, Kate Cross, Shreyanka Patil, Tanuja Kanwar, Alice Capsey and Shweta Sehrawat on what they have learned about their Australian team-mates in T20 leagues

Interviews by S Sudarshanan 29-Sep-2024Out of the first 15 Women’s World Cups across the ODI and T20I formats, Australia won nine. Then they lost the semi-final of the 2017 50-over World Cup, which stung them so much that they changed the look of their line-ups – pushing up Alyssa Healy to open the batting being one of those – in a bid to get back to the winningest of ways.Since then, they have added another ODI World Cup and three more T20 World Cups to their cabinet. They also finished gold medalists at the inaugural Commonwealth Games women’s cricket competition in 2022. In short, they have swept it all – every single multi-team tournament since the start of 2018.How do Australia manage to build a winning mindset? What does it entail? And how do their players prepare for matches or deal with pressure? We asked players from other countries to tell us what they had observed about their Australian counterparts while playing alongside them in T20 leagues across the world.

Is there an Australian player you love watching play or train?

Kate Cross (*with Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux in WPL; Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield, Heather Graham in the Hundred): I think Phoebe Litchfield is probably one of the more fun players to watch at training. She often commentates on her batting, which can be hilarious at times, and she really puts a lot of time into her funky shots. So, it was interesting watching how she tries to develop and improve her game – even in the middle of competitions.Related

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I love watching Georgia Wareham go about her business. She’s a pretty quiet character off the field but she’s outthinking a lot of people on it. Her skill level is ridiculously high too, so having her as a team-mate recently has been something I’ve really enjoyed.Shreyanka Patil (with Perry, Wareham, Molineux in WPL): I enjoyed playing with Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham as fellow spinners. Even during practice, they were coming and helping me out, and asking questions as well, so it was a two-way learning.Laura Wolvaardt (with Gardner, Garth, Sutherland, Wareham, Litchfield, Mooney in WPL; Mooney, Garth, Wellington in the Hundred; McGrath, Wellington, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown in WBBL): Tahlia McGrath, obviously played a lot with her at [Adelaide] Strikers. I think she is a really good cricketer, good at everything – batting, bowling, fielding, captaincy. She is a really cool and humble person off the field as well.Alice Capsey (with Lanning, Sutherland, Jess Jonassen in WPL; Lanning, Sutherland, Kim Garth in WBBL; Amanda-Jade Wellington in the Hundred): Growing up, I was more attracted to the Jos Buttlers, Jason Roys, Charlotte Edwards. I wasn’t really Australian-driven, I didn’t know many of the players that well. But now it has been great to share the dressing room with someone like Meg Lanning. It is not just about their experiences but [observing] how they go about training, preparing for a game, what they look for, what kind of prep they do and just learning how they had done it themselves. I am never going to be same as a Lanning, but I can pick up on different things she does based on what works for me.Shweta Sehrawat walks out to bat with Alyssa Healy for UP Warriorz: “My first experience playing alongside Healy and Tahlia [McGrath]… I had to adjust a bit mentally, because in my mind they were my opponents”•Deepak Malik/BCCI

How has your impression of them changed from that of an opponent to a team-mate?

Capsey: You see these players on TV and you play against them, but it is nice to understand them as a person as well and just build really good relationships and have a relaxed conversation. Every time I have been in the changing room with Meg, she has been very open, very welcome. She is one of the cricketers who just knows her game so well.She’s been a good sounding board for when I have been playing for Delhi Capitals and Melbourne Stars. People don’t realise how valuable it is batting alongside her in the middle. At the end of the day, you can do all the training and have all the conversations off the pitch. But it is how they manage the in-game situations, which is one of the aspects that makes them so great. Meg’s one of those – she manages her innings so well. She knows what’s happening and is so in control. Being able to play alongside her is so amazing.Shweta Sehrawat (with Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath in WPL): It was a bit different for me. I always imagined wanting to play for India against Australians as opponents. But my first experience itself was playing alongside Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath in the first season of the WPL. I had to adjust a bit mentally, because in my mind they were my opponents. But there was no fear, and I lapped up the opportunity to learn from them. I gelled better in the second season, so much so that I am in regular touch with Tahlia and we went out for dinner when I toured Australia as part of the India A side last month.Tanuja Kanwar (with Litchfield, Garth, Sutherland, Wareham, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner in WPL): I used to watch Australian players only on TV before the WPL. But when I met them, I realised they are very chill people. I used to feel, “Oh, how do I speak to them”, but it was very easy when I met them and we became a team.Cross: I think it was just nicer to have Ellyse as a team-mate for once and not worry about how to get her out! But the beauty of changing from rivals to team-mates is that it gives you an insight into how and why they have got to the very top of their game. Also, just getting to know someone on a personal level – it almost makes me look forward to the Ashes more, knowing you’ve got mates to go up against.Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues and Alice Capsey at a Delhi Capitals event: Capsey says her understanding of the game has grown in the time she’s spent with Lanning•Bhushan Koyande/Hindustan Times/Getty Images

How do they train and prepare for a game?

Wolvaardt: The level of training and preparation at Strikers is equal to an international set-up, whereas our domestic systems are very much behind. They have an analyst, physio, strength and conditioning coach, a manager, because they are just so far ahead development wise. They have 200-300 players at a professional level every single day whereas we maybe only have the national side that is at that level of training.Cross: I didn’t notice any differences, but it’s their diligence that stands out the most. How well they train is admirable and is a huge indication of how consistent they are on the pitch because of how they train behind the scenes.Capsey: Everyone does it differently; someone like Meg does it differently to someone like Nat [Sciver-Brunt], who does it differently to someone like Marizanne Kapp, who does it differently to me or anyone else. Everyone has different things that works for them. Meg’s one of those people that’s so consistent, she just churns runs for fun, and it’s amazing to watch. You can also see the hard work that goes behind the scenes, how she goes about her net sessions and how specific she is. Then you get a pretty good understanding of the process that makes her successful.That is important in cricket. You are always going to fail more than you succeed. As a batter, more often than not, you are going to get out for low scores. It is about understanding and creating a process that works for you and allows you the best chance to be successful. There are so many variables that if you have your process it makes it a little bit easier.Kanwar: I am a bit superstitious; I don’t do knocking just before toss, but I do bowl a bit to warm up. With Australian players, I have seen that they prepare fully. They do knocking, take a few catches and do fielding drills, too, just to be ready in the match.Tanuja Kanwar: “I have noticed that the Australians do not get overly dejected [by defeat]. They are focused on what to do next and how to better the performances”•Prashant Bhoot/BCCI

How do they react under pressure?

Jemimah Rodrigues (with Lanning, Jonassen, Sutherland in WPL; Jonassen in WPCL; Sutherland in WBBL): Lanning is so calm and cool, even under pressure. I feel that is one of the biggest qualities a captain can have. Everyone’s under pressure, but if you see your captain calm, it just helps calm the entire team. That is an amazing thing with Lanning.Wolvaardt: They are very good under pressure. Just as you think they are about to finally lose a game, they find a way to win. They can find a way to win from any position. That comes with time and being exposed to those scenarios. It is like a momentum type of thing – the more you win in those situations, the more you will be able to win. It’s hard when you are in those situations and you lose ().Rodrigues: I think the one thing I will really take from Lanning is that she just knows what she’s doing. That’s what helps her be calm even under pressure.Cross: Nothing massively stood out that I wasn’t expecting, but Pez would be in the nets all the time. I’m now really not surprised she has that massive hotspot in the middle of her bat. She uses it that often!Sehrawat: I hadn’t really looked at Tahlia from that perspective, but come to think of it, I can recall one thing from during the A series. I was standing at slip, and against a left-arm spinner, she hit a lovely inside-out lofted shot that beat long-off. I then remembered her playing that shot on a few occasions before as well, so I now want to steal that shot and play it as adeptly as her.Capsey: Playing with Meg, I have learnt to manage my innings a lot better. The little bits and pieces that I have taken from her have been about my mindset and how I go about reading a game. She’s one of the most successful captains in world cricket – just how she reads the game, she’s good at speaking. She’ll tell you why she’s done certain things. She just doesn’t do it and you notice it, but she speaks to you and helps you understand why she’s done it. So, mindset and my understanding of the game and reading the game, I think, has a lot to do with playing and being in an environment with her. How to be ruthless once you are on top, I think she is good at that – sensing moments and pouncing at that.*Includes Australian team-mates in T20 leagues from March 1, 2023

A group of young, exciting top-order batters are working with new coach Jonathan Trott at the Asia Cup

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-2022Afghanistan’s strength has always been their spin attack led by Rashid Khan, but now the focus is shifting towards building a strong batting line-up under the guidance of new coach Jonathan Trott.Trott comes with tremendous pedigree as a former England batter, and he’s also got coaching experience with England’s Under-19 and Lions teams. As he settles into the Afghanistan job, Trott will have to adjust to the fact that coaches don’t always get to see a player perform at domestic level before they make the step up to international cricket.Related

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Afghanistan begin their Asia cup campaign against Sri Lanka on Saturday and they come into the tournament with a solid build-up behind them, having played five T20Is against Ireland in Belfast earlier this month. Though Afghanistan lost that series – Trott’s first as coach – 3-2, there were plenty of encouraging performances to build on, especially in the batting department. Prior to the Ireland tour, they had swept a series 3-0 in Zimbabwe.Afghanistan arrived in the UAE a week ago and had a camp in Abu Dhabi before shifting base to Dubai. They are in the tougher group and know that a slip-up against Sri Lanka or Bangladesh could mean an early exit from the Asia Cup. And while spin will continue to be their primary strength, it is the batting that could make or break Afghanistan’s campaign.Najibullah Zadran, their vice-captain, knows a thing or two about developing as a T20 batter. When he broke through in 2012, he was known to be technically correct, a player who puts a price on his wicket. But the Najibullah of 2022 is different, at least going by his recent record and the net sessions Afghanistan have had.Najibullah Zadran has evolved from a solid batter to an explosive finisher•Getty ImagesNajibullah and the rest of Afghanistan’s batting group worked on range hitting as much as developing a tighter defence. There’s been greater focus on footwork, picking lengths and developing different options for similar deliveries.Najibullah knows he carries significant responsibility in the batting line-up after his success in Ireland, where he showed off his ability to bat aggressively and set up big totals. In the third T20I, he made an 18-ball 42, having come into bat in the 14th over. In the fourth game, he made 50 off 24 balls after beginning his innings in the fourth over. Along with Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah is crucial to a young batting line-up looking to carve an identity amid the superstars in the team.”We’ve been talking to Jonathan a lot,” Najibullah said. “He brings plenty of experience, having played for England for so many years. He has been helping us cope with pressure and different situations and talking to us about having different mindsets for different situations. We’ll need it as we prepare for this tournament.”The main focus is on our batting department, especially the top order. We’ve got big hitters in the lower order who can cash in, in the death overs. In our bowling, we’ve got one of the best spin line-ups and a couple of good seam bowlers. But yes, primarily top-order batting is our big focus area.”

“He has been helping us cope with pressure and different situations and talking to us about having different mindsets for different situations.”Najibullah on head coach Trott

Najibullah believes Afghanistan’s top order has taken giant strides towards being more consistent. The experience of playing Rashid and the mystery spin of Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the nets has helped them develop plans to counter tough challenges.”Rashid is world-class, we all know that,” Najibullah said. “He has so many variations, he varies his pace, lengths and line. We’ve been playing with each other for six-seven years, so we’re used to him. The more you play him, it gives you an advantage straightaway.”There isn’t much to say about our spin department. But even in the fast bowling, we have a couple of youngsters – Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq. We’ve mainly been talking of controlling pressure in big moments. Trott has been talking to the boys on these aspects. So overall, we’re a good team and we are looking forward to doing well.”

The ICC’s documentary on the 2020 women’s T20 World Cup goes for glory, but leaves out some of the story

Annesha Ghosh08-Sep-20203:46

Thailand a shining example to every other team – Bishop

“In feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director.”The unpredictability of non-fiction filmmaking, distilled in these words by Alfred Hitchcock, sits close to the heart of the ICC’s retrospective of the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup. The grandest cricket event of a tumultuous year saw a record crowd of 86,174 for the final at the MCG in Australia, helped perhaps by a performance by pop star Katy Perry. That the ICC identified the tournament as a worthy subject for the documentary, , speaks of the potential to introduce women’s cricket to new audiences in the comfort of their homes.Directed by Anna Stone, an Australian producer who is part of the team that delivers the Women’s Big Bash League, the film combines four distinct narratives from the 17 days of the ten-team tournament that wound up just before Covid-19 grounded sport globally. Three of those strands chart heavyweights England’s campaign that culminated in a dispiriting rain-thwarted semi-final exit, the Indian side’s historic maiden run to the final, and hosts Australia’s dramatic gold-medal-winning late dash to the finish line.ALSO READ: A celebration for Australia, a celebration for the women’s game“You’ve got to have some sort of luck, or fate or destiny to win a World Cup,” Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy, the Player of the T20 World Cup final, tells ESPNcricinfo. Healy is one of the primary characters in the documentary, which is bookended on the recollection of a dream of hers: “It’s me on stage [in the final at the MCG] with Katy Perry and a medal around my neck.””Don’t get me wrong,” says Healy. “World Cups are incredibly hard to win, and it takes a lot of skill and effort to get over the line, but you do need some luck along the way. It didn’t feel like it was falling into place [for us] for the majority of that World Cup; it felt like everything was against us for the first few weeks of the round games.”But as soon as that semi-final was played and we won it, everything started falling into place. We peaked in the last two games of the tournament and ultimately we were standing there with the trophy at the end, which meant we did the right thing.”

“This documentary serves as a reminder to those who witnessed that historic day at the MCG, and as an entry point to newer viewers who may not have witnessed that the women’s game can stand on its own two feet”Ian Bishop

Australia’s shock loss to India in the opener, their thrilling must-win encounter against New Zealand, the tournament-ending injury to their premier allrounder Ellyse Perry ahead of the knockouts, and the final itself play out through highlights montages culled from ten matches. Three of those spotlight debutants Thailand, who became the first team, men’s or women’s, from their country to qualify for a cricket world tournament.”I never imagined that we would ever get this kind of attention,” Sornnarin Tippoch, the Thailand captain, tells ESPNcricinfo. “I thought that little ICC features and clips on YouTube were already something big for me and the team. We are extremely proud and honoured to be featured in this documentary, which is viewed worldwide. Being featured in a story involving the top cricket nations is very special because they are our role models and inspiration to compete.”ALSO READ: Thailand embrace ‘dreams’ and destinyThat Thailand’s winless campaign has the potential to become something bigger than just what the scoresheets say, is endorsed by the commentary of Ian Bishop, Lisa Sthalekar, Alan Wilkins and Michael Clarke.”There was a line one of my colleagues made during the documentary, which says that Thailand’s captain and Thailand’s team brought a reverence to the way they greeted the other players in the tournament,” recalls Bishop. “The joy on their leader’s face every time she took the field warmed my heart, it warmed your heart, and warmed the hearts of everyone I am sure that was watching.”They have some work to do there [in batting], but Thailand were a shining example of the possibilities for every team, every player in the world game as to how far they can go. They have a long way to go, but they showed at times they weren’t out of their depth.”With the pandemic limiting the scope of live sports and forcing cancellation of multiple women’s bilateral series and postponement of the 2021 ODI World Cup, Bishop believes the documentary’s worldwide premiere last month was timely.”There was some real interest that sort of snowballed at the culmination of the T20 World Cup back in March The quality of the cricket, I think, then went to a different level… It’s a shame that global sport came to a halt not too long after that. This documentary serves as a reminder to those who witnessed that historic day at the MCG, and as an entry point to newer viewers who may not have witnessed that the women’s game can stand on its own two feet for its sheer entertainment and ability.”The Perry on top of the cake: A historic run for women’s cricket peaked with the T20 World Cup final at the MCG•Getty ImagesTo the end, the film is likely to score well among a section of audiences. For others, though, especially regular followers of cricket or documentary lovers coming off finely crafted recent cricket titles such as or , might struggle to resonate. Part of it is down to what a viewer typically expects of a movie, which becomes notable either by what it says or how it makes them feel. To such a demographic, the film might appear to be punching below its weight on both fronts.In prioritising perfunctory discovery over exploring depth or detail, the film fritters away the opportunity to live up to its title. Within a 60-minute run time, almost 26 minutes is given to highlights. It feels like a cop-out – the filmmaking team’s unrestricted on-site access could have led to a deeper look at developments beyond the field of play, leaving room to intermix it with the history of the women’s game.Outside of a few fleeting references in the highlights, past editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup itself find mention only briefly when the narrative shifts, around the 18-minute mark, to England’s tournament opener in Perth. “This is my fifth World T20,” says Danielle Wyatt, as her England team-mate Fran Wilson remembers, “It’s been a while since we won the Twenty20 World Cup: 2009. And I remember watching that as a 16-, 17-year-old…”ALSO READ: How good is this? How good is Alyssa Healy?In structuring itself around a 23-day countdown to the final, the film limits the scope of the event and treats it in isolation. Instead, the momentousness of that final – for the record Australian turnout alone – warrants a look back at how far women’s cricket and its audiences have come.As far as the ICC’s arrival on the streaming video-on-demand orbit goes, the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup may just have been a trial run. If the governing body’s exquisite, viral tournament recap montages in particular are anything to go by, more long-form non-fiction content from the ICC’s stable, including on men’s cricket, may not be far away.With three major multi-team women’s events, including two World Cups and the Commonwealth Games, lined up, could the year 2022 serve up a follow-up to ? Thailand’s journey following the T20 World Cup could make for a compelling subject on its own, as could the rise and rise of Healy, who, hopefully by then, will have hit the last remnants of “married to Mitchell Starc” and “niece of Ian Healy” references out of the boundary.

Russell will work with new head coach Abhishek Nayar, Southee, Watson and Bravo in the KKR backroom

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2025

Andre Russell smashed 223 sixes in the IPL•AFP/Getty Images

Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) legend, has decided to call time on his IPL career after not being retained by the franchise ahead of the 2026 season, and announced that he would be joining the team’s support staff as its “power coach”.”I’ve made a decision to retire from the IPL. I’ll still be active playing in various leagues all around the world and all the other KKR franchises,” Russell said in a video message. “I had some amazing time and great memories. hitting sixes, winning games, MVP and all of those things. But sometimes you just have to know when to hang up the boots. When I made this decision, I just felt like ‘yes, this is the best decision’. I don’t want to fade out. I want to leave a legacy and it’s best to retire when fans ask ‘why, you still have some more in you, you still could go for a bit longer’ than say, ‘yeah, you should have done it years back’.”We are part of the Instagram world, so when you’re going through your feed, you keep seeing yourself in different jerseys and, you know, friends, team-mates sending you stuff and, like, ‘you’re looking good in this jersey, what do you think’ and I’m like, ‘hmmm, I look weird in that jersey’. And it’s just those thoughts that’s been going through my head. I had a few sleepless nights. There have been a lot of conversations, between me and Mr Venky Mysore, and also Mr Shah Rukh Khan, about another chapter in my IPL journey, and they have shown me respect and love and they appreciate whatever I have been doing in the field and to be in a set-up where I’m familiar, that matters to me a lot.”Russell, who was part of KKR’s title-winning teams in 2014 and 2024, was also the IPL’s Most Valuable Player in 2019. Russell won 16 Player-of-the-Match awards at KKR, only behind Sunil Narine’s mark. And that long association has been strengthened with a position in the team’s support staff as “power coach”.