Manchester United have splashed the cash once again this summer, with the board handing manager Ruben Amorim the opportunity to make the desired changes to his first-team squad.

Such spending is no surprise to the fanbase, especially after previous manager Erik ten Hag was handed over £600m in the transfer market during his own tenure at Old Trafford.

However, there will be hope that the additions made by the 40-year-old will be more impactful, hopefully making a positive impact and subsequently catapulting the side up the Premier League table.

Antony and Rasmus Hojlund are just two players signed by the Dutchman, but both departed Old Trafford on deadline day after falling down the pecking order since Amorim’s arrival.

Their departures highlight the faith the manager has in his new additions to help provide the goods in his quest for future success during his time in England.

United’s moves to land Cunha & Mbeumo this summer

After scoring just 44 times in the Premier League in 2024/25, attention was turned to United’s frontline – with £200m being spent on new additions in such a department.

Matheus Cunha joined the Red Devils in a £62.5m deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers, offering an added threat within the attacking department after scoring 15 times last season.

Whilst the Brazilian is yet to score since his big-money transfer, he has shown glimpses of his talent, creating 1.3 chances per 90 to date – but he may be set for a spell on the sideline after picking up a hamstring injury against Burnley.

He’s been joined in such a department by Bryan Mbeumo, after the Cameroonian international also cost a whopping £65m from Brentford – after netting 20 goals of his own in England’s top-flight in 2024/25.

The 26-year-old has already opened his account at Old Trafford, netting against Burnley last weekend – helping the side claim their first win of the new campaign.

The United player who’s worth more than Mbeuno & Cunha

Despite Ten Hag’s failures in the transfer market, he did make some impressive additions to the United squad – including that of centre-back Lisandro Martínez.

The Argentine joined the Red Devils in a package totalling £57m in the summer of 2022, going on to make 91 appearances for the club over the last three campaigns.

Whilst injuries have massively halted his progress at Old Trafford, he’s still produced numerous moments of magic, including his superb strike against Liverpool at Anfield last season.

The 27-year-old still remains sidelined with a knee injury, but could return in November, potentially partnering Leny Yoro at the heart of the backline once again.

The Frenchman joined United in a £52m transfer from Lille last summer, with the teenager seen as an immediate and long-term option to help bolster the club’s defensive department.

He’s since racked up 36 first-team appearances over the last 12 months, starting in all three of the Red Devils’ league outings in the 2025/26 campaign to date.

Despite his defensive role, the 19-year-old has already found the net once, scoring in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Lyon last campaign – subsequently helping Amorim’s side reach another European final.

In the early stages of the new season, Yoro has already won 60% of the tackles he’s entered, whilst winning 82% of his aerial battles – offering Amorim’s side a commanding presence at the heart of his defence.

As a result of his performances of late, the youngster is now valued at £69.4m by FootballTransfers – a figure that is higher than the fees paid for Mbeumo and Cunha this window.

September 2024

£31m

December 2024

£29.3m

February 2025

£57.8m

April 2025

£57.6m

July 2025

£63.1m

September 2025

£69.4m

At just 19, Yoro has bags of time to develop further at United, potentially cementing himself in the club’s first-team for at least the next decade and maybe even beyond.

Should he build on his impressive start to life in England, it would be a sensational transfer, with the Frenchman having the chance to make himself a fan-favourite and take the side back to their former glory.

Man Utd struck gold on "electrifying" star worth even more than Baleba

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The ODI World Cup champions have been forced into a host of changes to their squad with all their first-choice quicks now missing

Andrew McGlashan12-Feb-20252:01

Finch: Big three absence a chance for Ellis to lead attack

Mitchell Starc has withdrawn from the Champions Trophy for personal reasons with Australia confirming a different looking 15-player squad that will be captained by Steven Smith.Australia had already been forced into a number of changes to their provisional squad due to the injuries to Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh alongside the retirement of Marcus Stoinis. Starc’s absence means they are without their entire World Cup winning frontline pace attack for the tournament in Pakistan and the UAE which starts on February 19.Related

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Starc, who has asked for privacy around his decision, had looked in some discomfort in the latter stages of the second Test in Galle.”We understand and respect Mitch’s decision,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “Mitch is deeply respected for his commitment to international cricket and the priority he places on performing for Australia.”His well documented ability to play through pain and adversity, as well as forgoing opportunities in other parts of his career to put his country first should be applauded. His loss is of course a blow for the Champions Trophy campaign but does provide an opportunity to someone else to make a mark on the tournament.”Smith will take on the captaincy in place of Cummins and Marsh having led Australia to a 2-0 victory the Test series against Sri Lanka.Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson and Tanveer Sangha have been brought in from outside the original 15-player group that was announced. Cooper Connolly will be a traveling reserve.Fraser-McGurk, who averages 17.40 from five ODIs but finished the BBL with 95 off 46 balls for Melbourne Renegades, provides another top-order option in the absence of Marsh while left-arm quick Johnson is as close as possible to a like-for-like of Starc although is wicketless from two ODIs. Legspinner Sangha, who was already in Sri Lanka with the Test squad as a development player, joins Adam Zampa as a second frontline spinner.”The squad has changed significantly over the past month on the back of some untimely injuries and the retirement of Marcus Stoinis,” Bailey said. “The upside of that is that we have been able to call on players who have had international exposure and success over the past 12 months.”A strong core of some our most experienced players will provide a strong foundation in our attempt to win this edition of the Champions Trophy. We have a range of options to shape the playing XI within the tournament depending on the opposition and conditions we face.”Australia will prepare for the Champions Trophy with two ODIs against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday and Friday. Their first match of the tournament is against England on February 22 followed by South Africa (February 25) and Afghanistan (February 28).Australia Champions Trophy squad Steve Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa

وجه ألكسندر إيزاك مهاجم منتخب السويد وليفربول الإنجليزي، رسالة مميزة لأحد لاعبي برشلونة بعد خسارة منتخب بلاده ضد سويسرا في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

وكان روني باردجي جناح برشلونة قد حقق حلمه بالمشاركة مع منتخب السويد على الرغم من أنه لم يشارك سوى خمس دقائق أخيرة فقط من المباراة ولم يسعفه الوقت للحاق بمنتخب بلاده من الهزيمة بهدفين نظيفين مما يهدد فرصه للتأهل للمونديال القادم.

وعلى الرغم من مشاركة باردجي في خمس دقائق فقط مع منتخب السويد، لكن هذا الوقت القليل كان كافيا لإظهار موهبته وإثارة حماس الجماهير وزملائه أيضاً.

أقرأ أيضاً.. اللاعبون الأعلى أجرًا في الدوري الإنجليزي.. مركز محمد صلاح ومرموش

وأشاد ألكسندر إيزاك مهاجم ليفربول بـ روني باردجي في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “إنه لاعب من الطراز الرفيع، لا أعتبره موهبة أتيحت لها الفرصة بل لاعب راسخ، إنه هنا معنا لسبب وجيه”.

وأكمل مهاجم ليفربول مشيداً بلاعب برشلونة: “لقد حضر بطاقته الكبيرة في الملعب، كان من المؤسف أن يشارك ونحن في هذا الموقف، عندما كنا متأخرين بهدف نظيف لكن بالنسبة لي كان باردجي شعاع نور لنا رغم الهزيمة”.

وقال باردجي لوسائل الإعلام بعد ظهوره مع السويد:” لم ألعب كثيراً لكني اظهرت القليل، كنت أنتظر هذا اليوم منذ زمن، كنت أتمنى لو أننا لم نخسر وسيصبح أفضل، لكنه كان يوم جيد، لعبت بشكل جيد، أظهرت ما يمكنني فعله وساهمت به”.

وختم جناح برشلونة تصريحاته حول العودة للمسار الصحيح: “علينا أن نؤدي كما نقوم في أندينتا، دون التفكير كثيراً في الضغط، نلعب ونستمتع بوقتنا ونقدم كرة قدم جيدة، علينا بذل قصارى جهدنا وأن نكون هجوميين، ونخلق الفرص، أعتقد أن كل شئ سيصبح أفضل بكثير لو فعلنا ذلك”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Júnior Santos retornou ao Botafogo no começo deste ano após não receber muitas oportunidades no Fortaleza. O atacante vem sendo muito utilizado por Luís Castro nesta temporada e conseguiu alcançar uma marca expressiva no Brasileirão.

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O camisa 27 lidera o ranking de dribles do campeonato. O jogador utilizou este fundamento 24 vezes ao longo das dez primeiras rodadas. O segundo colocado é Dudu, do Palmeiras. A informação foi divulgada pelo perfil “Footstats”.

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Júnior Santos atua aberto pelo lado direito e é um dos responsáveis por construir jogadas em velocidade. O atacante é bem quisto por Luís Castro e tem respaldo da diretoria alvinegra para continuar se desenvolvendo no clube.

O Glorioso entra em campo na próxima quinta-feira (22), diante do Cuiabá, às 20h, na Arena Pantanal, em partida válida pelo Brasileirão. A equipe alvinegra busca uma vitória fora de casa para se manter na liderança isolada da competição.

– Match abandoned due to rainThe much-anticipated Champions Trophy match between Australia and South Africa in Rawalpindi was washed out without even a toss, forget a ball being bowled, after persistent drizzle. The match was called off at 5.10pm local time, three hours and ten minutes after the scheduled start of play at 2pm and two hours and 22 minutes before the cut-off time for a 20-overs-a-side game, 7.32pm local time. This was due to be the teams’ first meeting at a Champions Trophy.The result means that if Australia and South Africa win their final group matches, against Afghanistan and England respectively, they will progress to the semi-finals. Wednesday’s match between Afghanistan and England is a knockout, with the loser certain of exiting the competition. The winner will have to beat their next opposition to make it through to the final four. As a result, one of the matches between Australia and Afghanistan on Friday and South Africa and England on Saturday could be a virtual quarter-final. Both Afghanistan and England have to win both their matches to qualify for the semi-finals.With no XIs named for this encounter, South Africa kept their cards close to their chest on Heinrich Klaasen’s availability. He missed their opening match against Afghanistan with an elbow injury and now has three more days to recover before the game against England on Saturday.This was due to be the first meeting between Australia and South Africa since the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, which Australia won, and means that they continue to have the advantage over South Africa in ICC events. In nine matches, Australia have won four, South Africa three, there was a tie at the 1999 World Cup and now, their first washout.

Jose Mourinho claims that he feels that he is a 'much better coach than before' as the Benfica boss prepares for a reunion with his former club Chelsea in the Champions League. After losing his job at Fenerbahce last month, Mourinho returned to his homeland to take charge of Benfica. Under the veteran coach, the Liga Portugal side have registered two wins and a draw thus far.

• Mourinho off to a bright start in Portugal

  Mourinho returned to Portugal to take up a coaching role after 21 years, as he joined Benfica, a club where he first started his managerial career 25 years ago. Benfica's journey under the 62-year-old has been smooth sailing as they have registered two wins and a draw in the Liga Portugal under the Special One.

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  'I feel like a much better coach than before'

  Looking back at his 25-year-long managerial career, the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid manager told UEFA: "A coach is born and dies with the same DNA; he doesn't have a choice. But as a person, there are differences. Maybe in the beginning, I thought more about myself, and I've transformed in a way where, I don't know, I feel more altruistic. I feel like I'm in football more to help my players than to think about what will happen to me in a year, two, or three. It's a natural change that doesn't distort me as a coach, but as a person, it gives me a different side.

  "I feel stronger, I feel like a much better coach than before. A coach is better with accumulated experience. There are matches in my career where I felt like I was the one who won. Because sometimes you have the right ideas, decisions, strategies, sometimes before the game, but other times during. But I've never felt like a genius. A provocateur, maybe a bit, but I've never felt like a genius or a devil."

• Mourinho ready for Chelsea reunion

  After a win over Gil Vincente in a league clash on Saturday, Mourinho is now gearing up to face his former team Chelsea as he will head back to his old stomping ground Stamford Bridge to face the Blues in the Champions League. 

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  Palmer blow for Chelsea

  Chelsea will approach the Benfica clash in the midweek without the services of their star player Cole Palmer, who has been ruled out of action for three matches due to a groin problem. 

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has a plethora of star players in his squad, and some have been reduced to fewer minutes than they’d like.

BlueCo are spearheading another major reshuffle of the squad, and perhaps even more so this summer, with the expectation being that Chelsea are poised to offload many more squad members as new players fill their spaces.

Carney Chukwuemeka, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Alfie Gilchrist could all still leave Stamford Bridge before the summer transfer deadline on September 1, as UEFA pressure Chelsea to produce a positive transfer balance by next month.

The aforementioned seven could follow a host of players out the door, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu parting company permanently.

For most of a portion of this window, defender Benoit Badiashile has also been linked with exit door, but the Frenchman’s future has proved more complicated.

While Badiashile isn’t exactly at the forefront of Maresca’s plans, starting just three Premier League games last season, he did play in all but two games of their Conference League campaign.

The 24-year-old was a firm regular of their ‘B team’ last term, so to speak, but remains behind the likes of Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill in the pecking order.

Unfortunately for Maresca, Colwill is now set to miss most of the new campaign after damaging his ACL in training, with Chelsea thought to be exploring new centre-back options in the transfer market as a result.

Chelsea could even sign a new defender on an emergency loan, according to some reports, but any deal for the right player will be hard to do considering how late it is in the window.

They also remain in ongoing talks to sign both Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho respectively, and bringing in the attacking duo would take Chelsea’s summer spending to well past the £300 million mark.

Maresca could well be forced to consider more internal solutions to their centre-back shortage, with Badiashile now receiving plenty of support at Cobham.

Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile praised by staff behind-the-scenes

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking on the London is Blue podcast this week, the former AS Monaco man is earning real admiration from members of the Chelsea staff.

Those within the club are convinced that Badiashile can develop into a consistent and reliable player for Chelsea, with Maresca told to take note of the ex-Ligue 1 star as a potential option – even if he’s currently injured himself right now.

Badiashile is expected back around September, though, so he could soon come in as cover for Colwill if Maresca opts to head in that direction.

In another interview on Playback, Jacobs also revealed that Badiashile has a fierce work ethic, with there being a growing sense that his signing has “slipped under the radar”.

Celtic find themselves in a race against time to land a new striker, though they have now made an approach to bring in a forward on the books at a Premier League club.

Celtic fail in bid to land Anderlecht striker Kasper Dolberg

Despite making him their top target, Celtic look to have missed out on a deal for Anderlecht striker Kasper Dolberg, who is primed to complete a move to Anderlecht before the close of play.

Taking to social media platform X, Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reported that the Denmark international now has his set on a move to his former club after the Dutch giants sought assurances over his willingness to snub alternative interest.

He stated: “UPDATE: Ajax are now pressing ahead with their hijack of Kasper Dolberg’s move to Celtic after seeking assurances from the player that he would prefer a return to his old club. #AFCAjax now back in talks with Anderlecht over a permanet deal. This could leave Celtic scrambling.”

Elsewhere, the Bhoys have put forward a loan for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sayki, albeit he could end up at either Rangers, Lyon, and Leicester City, who are also keen on landing the England Under-21 international.

The timing of whether Celtic manage to land a striker or not is critical, given Irishman Adam Idah is set for a move to Swansea after completing his medical, though they have held fire on relinquishing his services until a replacement is found.

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ByHenry Jackson Sep 1, 2025

Truthfully, the late part of the window for supporters has failed to deliver in terms of excitement, but that could be about to change as they hone in on a new centre-forward.

Celtic make loan approach to sign Chelsea's David Datro Fofana

According to Sky Sports reporter Joseph on X, who was mentioned earlier, Celtic have made a loan approach to try and sign Chelsea striker David Datro Fofana before tonight’s deadline.

Intriguingly, his colleague Ron Walker eluded to the fact that is ‘looks like’ the Bhoys may land his services despite suggesting that Bristol City were in the mix, potentially suggesting that a deal is further down the line than initially thought.

Despite joining Chelsea for £10.3 million in 2022, Fofana has made only four appearances for the Premier League giants and spent time out on loan at Goztepe last term, scoring twice in nine appearances before sustaining a knee injury.

Adding Union Berlin and Burnley to his other loans, the Ivory Coast international, dubbed “aggressive” by Vincent Kompany, has never really settled since joining the Blues from Molde, where he burst on to the scene after netting 24 times in 65 outings.

Celtic appear willing to offer him an olive branch at a late stage, creating a scenario where both parties benefit while Chelsea move another player off their books.

With the World Cup just months away, GOAL looks at how the U.S. squad might look in the upcoming October camp.

The time for experimenting is just about over for the U.S. men's national team. Manager Mauricio Pochettino noted as much when he announced his September squad, saying it was "the last camp to have the possibility for us to see players, new faces."

The process of narrowing the player pool towards a World Cup-ready squad is now truly beginning, and it gets going this October. After a back-and-forth September camp featuring a loss to South Korea and a win over Japan, the USMNT is set to face Ecuador and Australia in October as they continue their march towards the 2026 World Cup.

Ahead of the last gathering, Pochettino made it clear that this roster would be different. For one, it would be more hyper-focused on World Cup contenders. In addition, it would be one made with MLS in mind, with the coaching staff hesitant to yank players out of playoff races, even if they are established USMNT regulars.

So who's in and who's out? What are the tough calls Pochettino will have to make? GOAL takes a look.

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GOAL's picks: Matt Freese, Zack Steffen, Matt Turner

While MLS teams do play during the international break, neither Freese's NYCFC nor Turner's New England Revolution are among the clubs with games on the schedule, freeing them both up for participation in this camp. Freese, of course, has earned his spot as the No. 1 in recent months, but with Turner back as a starter in New England, that battle remains one to watch on the road to 2026.

This camp, then, should give some indication of where Pochettino's head is at: is it still a two-horse race that includes starts for both, or is it Freese's job to lose as he continues to get a bulk of the minutes?

As for the third goalkeeper, there are multiple candidates. Steffen's Rapids also don't play during the break, so he's one to keep an eye on. Same with Schulte and the Crew. Pochettino could also look to someone like Klinsmann in Europe as he continues to play well in Serie B with Cesena. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesDEFENDERS

GOAL's picks: Max Arfsten, Sergino Dest, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Joe Scally, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson

With the new switch to a three-at-the-back system, deployed by Pochettino against Japan, all eyes are on the centerbacks. Richards and Ream seem to be locks, but who joins them?

McKenzie seems an obvious candidate, even if he was left out of the last squad. The Toulouse defender plays in a similar system with his club, making him an ideal fit for this setup. Same with Miles Robinson, who should be comfortable due to his similar role with FC Cincinnati. The three-back system, it seems, is the way forward, so Pochettino might as well lean on guys who are more than comfortable playing it.

For the fullbacks, with Pochettino saying previously he's eager to avoid disrupting MLS, Freeman could stay home this camp to help out Orlando City. That opens the door for Joe Scally's return as an option on that right-hand side. Scally, too, could get a look at center back as he's played there in the past with Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

Getty ImagesMIDFIELDERS

GOAL's picks: Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Tanner Tessmann, Malik Tillman

A largely European-based contingent here, one that features most of the regulars. Notable possible inclusions are Tessmann, who has been on fire for Lyon to start the season, and Morris, who impressed in his initial looks under Pochettino and has certainly earned another shot with his efforts at Middlesbrough.

They would join a holdover in Adams and the returning McKennie and Musah as options in deeper midfield spots. With that group, Pochettino should, largely, feel pretty good as that should be somewhat close to his first-choice midfield.

As for the ones that could play higher up, Tillman is back, having recently gotten into the swing of things with Bayer Leverkusen, while Aaronson, fresh off a good performance in the Premier League, could take Luna's spot as he is left behind for Real Salt Lake's playoff push. McGlynn is a candidate there as well, too, with the Dynamo not scheduled for any games during the break.

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Getty ImagesFORWARDS

GOAL's picks: Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Tim Weah, Alejandro Zendejas

No doubt about wingers and No. 10s here. Pulisic is Pulisic. Weah provides pace and depth at multiple positions. Zendejas, meanwhile, is in incredible form and proved last camp that he belongs in this mix. With the previously mentioned Tillman as the likely starter next to Pulisic behind the striker, there are no real concerns at that spot on the field.

As for striker, Balogun is in after his performance last camp, but who joins him? Pepi is potentially dealing with an injury, so likely not him. Pochettino has previously said he wants players to have increased chances to settle in new environments, so that likely means no Agyemang either.

If that is the case, it leaves a decision between Sargent, Downs, and Wright, one that will be a tricky one for the coaching staff to make.

The ban on using saliva to polish the ball was first put into place by the ICC during the Covid-19 pandemic

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-20253:54

Should saliva be allowed again to polish the ball?

Mohammed Shami has urged the ICC to rescind the ban on using saliva to shine the ball, in a bid to bring the art of reverse swing back into play.”We are trying [to get reverse swing], but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed,” Shami told reporters after India’s four-wicket win over Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final. “We keep appealing that we should be allowed to use saliva so that we can bring reverse swing back into the game and it becomes interesting.”The ban on using saliva to polish the ball was first put into place in May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, as a temporary measure. Then, in September 2022, the ICC made the ban permanent.Related

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Shami has urged the ICC to reconsider their decision now. He has also got the backing of two former international bowlers in Vernon Philander and Tim Southee, who feel reverse swing is definitely missing in the game, especially on batter-friendly surfaces.”That was a rule brought around Covid with the virus going around the world, but I think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage,” Southee said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day. “We see the game going the way it’s going and seeing sides score 362 and more often than not over 300 in this format. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers’ favour, and whether that’s a little bit of saliva, then yeah, I don’t see why they couldn’t afford to get that back in.”Philander felt that the use of saliva and reverse swing could have come in handy for South Africa in the Champions Trophy semi-final against New Zealand, particularly in the later half of the innings. New Zealand amassed 362 for 6 in their 50 overs.1:49

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“If we look at the state of that ball, I mean towards the back end, it was really scuffed up, and I think had you used the saliva [to polish one side of the ball], the element of the reverse swing might have come into play,” Philander said. “So it certainly does play a part. You can get it to shine up and you use the elements to swing it a little longer.”I’d like to see that element being brought back into the game because I think it’s needed as well. I mean, especially in ODI cricket where we see batters really dominating, especially when you play on surfaces like we’ve just seen in Pakistan as well where it’s really batter friendly.”Southee felt that the use of saliva to polish one side of the ball and induce reverse swing makes even more of a difference in red-ball cricket than in white-ball.”I think the ball only swings initially for a few overs [in white-ball cricket]. But with the red ball, you are able to bring it back and obviously sweat can be limited at times in various parts of the world, whereas saliva you’re able to obviously have access to it from a number of sources and in all parts of the world,” he said. “I think there is an advantage to having saliva on the ball, probably more so in red-ball cricket than white-ball cricket.”Are there any other advantages of using saliva to polish the ball instead of sweat?”With the South African team, we were always trying to keep the ball as dry as possible,” Philander said. “The minute you start erring on the side of sweat, I think you start wetting both sides of the ball. Your hands get sweaty, especially when you play in hot, humid conditions.”Saliva was definitely the preferred method of shining the ball. In the longer run in the scheme of things, I’d like to see that being brought back. As far as sweat is concerned, I do feel that it’s difficult to control the amount of sweat you put on the ball, [especially when] you start sweating obviously heavily.”