Tag Futebol

Real Madrid fans have reason to celebrate as Jude Bellingham posted an upbeat update on social media following his return to training at Valdebebas. The English midfielder had been sidelined since he underwent surgery to mend his shoulder that got dislocated during a clash against Rayo Vallecano back in November 2023.

Bellingham returns to Real Madrid trainingShoulder injury recovery progressing faster than expectedClub prioritises fitness ahead of El ClasicoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Following the recent Club World Cup, Bellingham underwent surgery to repair the lingering shoulder issue and has been following a carefully structured rehabilitation plan to ensure a full recovery. Although initial reports suggested the 22-year-old would remain out until the end of October, his progress indicates a possible return to the pitch sooner than anticipated.

AdvertisementWHAT BELLINGHAM SAID

Bellingham shared a cheerful Instagram post from Valdebebas, Real Madrid’s training ground, showing him alongside teammate Vinicius Junior during a session. The caption read: "8 weeks… Back on the pitch with my brothers! 🫂".

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite Bellingham’s promising progress, Real Madrid are adopting a 'zero-risk' policy regarding his fitness. According to the club is determined not to rush their star midfielder back into action prematurely, ensuring that the player fully recovers before featuring in competitive fixtures.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

DID YOU KNOW?

Attention is already turning toward El Clasico against Barcelona, scheduled for the end of October, a potential title-defining fixture. Bellingham will undoubtedly be racing against time to be fully fit for this high-stakes encounter.

Everton are readying themselves to bring in more arrivals under David Moyes and have now made an approach for a new striker, according to a report.

Everton plotting to make more signings

Continuing their pre-season preparations, the Toffees suffered a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park ahead of their trip to the United States for the Premier League Summer Series.

Reacting after a disappointing day at the office, new signing Mark Travers believes his side will become stronger over the coming weeks once fitness is restored at Finch Farm.

He stated: “It’s really good to get 90 minutes under my belt. I’d say it’s a disappointing result, but we’re still early in pre-season. The lads are just getting their fitness levels up. I’m really excited to get my first game early in pre-season and I’m looking forward to the rest of pre-season now.”

Of course, part of the improvement to come will take shape in the form of signings at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and Everton have entered the race to sign Celtic forward Daizen Maeda following his 33-goal return last season.

However, Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford and West Ham United are also keen on the Japan international, who could become a new addition to their forward line after Thierno Barry arrived from Villarreal.

Ndiaye 2.0: Everton pushing to sign 'the 2nd best dribbler in the world'

David Moyes wants to add some more attacking quality at Everton this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 15, 2025

Meanwhile, Douglas Luiz and Conor Gallagher may strengthen the Toffees’ midfield. Respectively, Juventus and Atletico Madrid could be tempted by the prospect of selling either player for considerable financial gain.

Right now, it still feels like the Friedkin Group have plenty of work to do in a transitional summer, but Everton may feel they could have gained an edge in the hunt for another striker signing.

Everton make approach for Rangers star Hamza Igamane

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri on X, Everton have made an approach for Rangers striker Hamza Igamane by means of an enquiry. At the same time, Feyenoord and Udinese have also emerged as suitors for the Morocco international.

LOSC Lille appeared in pole position to bring him to France. However, their deal with the Scottish Premiership outfit is now on hold after struggling to find a breakthrough in negotiations despite already agreeing personal terms.

Last term, the 22-year-old scored 16 times in 46 appearances across all competitions, leading to Derek Ferguson labelling him “brilliant” after an effort in a 3-0 win away at Ross County.

Everton appear like they are looking to take a foothold in the race for his signature, but any movement may depend on whether Rangers are willing to budge from their £17 million valuation of Igamane, which has been widely reported.

The cogs are starting to turn at Arsenal.

After a month of what felt like inactivity to the fans, the Gunners are starting to make moves in the transfer window.

On top of the deal for Martin Zubimendi finally coming towards a conclusion, the club have now sealed a £5m deal for Kepa Arrizabalaga and submitted a bid for Brentford’s Christian Nørgaard.

Moreover, recent reports have now suggested that Arsenal are advancing in talks to sign a world-class attacker, someone who could be a dream team for another of the club’s targets: Jorrel Hato.

Arsenal ramp up transfer business

Arsenal were first credited with an interest in Hato back in December 2023, when he was still just 17 years old.

Transfer Focus

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

Links then popped back up last summer and then once again this spring, yet it’s in the previous few weeks that they’ve really started to feel significant.

For example, reports earlier this week revealed that the North Londoners are now ‘accelerating their move’ for the incredible teenage talent who could be set to cost them around £43m.

It would certainly be exciting to sign such a highly-rated youngster, and now it looks like the club are also making progress in their pursuit of someone who’d be a great teammate for him: Rodrygo.

At least that is according to a recent report from Football Transfers, who have reaffirmed that Arsenal remain incredibly interested in the Brazilian international.

The report goes further than that, though, revealing that the Gunners have ‘taken significant strides toward’ the massive signing and that they have ‘held positive discussions regarding a transfer fee with Real Madrid.’

Regarding that fee, the report claims that the North Londoners have now found out that the full package to land the former Santos gem would amount to a figure north of €100m, which converts to around £85m.

So, it looks like it could be a complicated and incredibly costly transfer to get over the line, but given Rodrygo’s outrageous talent, it is one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he could be the perfect teammate for Hato as well.

Why Rodrygo would be an ideal teammate for Hato

There are two reasons why Hato would surely love playing behind Rodrygo, and they relate to his output and positioning.

The first is really quite simple to understand, as while the Dutchman’s primary focus is to stop the opposition from scoring goals, he has shown an increasing ability to provide chances for his teammates, as in the league alone this season, he scored twice and provided six assists in just 31 appearances, 28 of which were at left-back.

Therefore, it tracks that should the 19-year-old have a more dangerous attacker ahead of him, then his own goal and assist numbers would likely soar, and in the Brazilian phenom, he’d have just that.

Appearances

52

52

Minutes

3777′

3425′

Goals

18

14

Assists

9

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

0.48

Minutes per Goal Involvement

139.88′

137′

For example, even though he has had to spend the majority of this season out of position, off the right, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, still scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 53 appearances, totalling 3425 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.08 games, or every 137 minutes.

Moving onto his positioning, and by looking at the Real ace’s heatmap from this season and last season, it’s clear that what he likes to do is move from the outside in, so while he can operate on the touchline, he’s more comfortable inside.

In turn, he vacates space out wide, space which is perfect for an overlapping full-back to exploit, and while the Ajax star does like to invert, his own heatmap shows that he also likes to get forward and stay wide.

Moreover, respected analyst Ben Mattinson argues that his “dynamism would translate so well to an overlapping LB,” and when you add to that the fact he has some seriously impressive underlying numbers related to chance creation, there is every chance that he could form a dangerous partnership with Rodrygo from out wide.

For example, FBref places the teenager in the top 1% of full-backs in the next best 14 competitions for pass completion, the top 3% for goal-creating chances from live passes and the top 4% for overall goal-creating actions, all per 90.

Ultimately, on their own, Hato and Rodrygo would be great signings for Arsenal, but together, there is every chance that they could help revolutionise the Gunners’ left-hand side and make it just as dangerous as their right.

Dream teammate for Rodrygo: Arsenal now in talks to sign £68m "magician"

The creative monster could help the Brazilian reach another level at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 25, 2025

Captain’s 64 was the backbone of the chase after Notts Outlaws post sub-par total of 153

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2024Lancashire Lightning began this Vitality Blast North group visit to Trent Bridge with the best record of all 18 counties in the 2024 T20 campaign to date and Nottinghamshire Outlaws with the worst.Choosing to bat, Outlaws eventually rose to 153 foe 8 despite expert containment from Chris Green, the Australia T20 international, with 2 for 16 in his four overs of off-spin. Jack Haynes reached 45 before becoming one of two run outs in a sometimes naïve display and Liam Patterson-White, batting at No7 on debut in this format, made a fine, unbeaten 44 from 21 balls.But with Keaton Jennings making a skipper’s 64 to leave victory in sight, Lighting romped home by six wickets in the penultimate over as the Outlaws completed their first five games with a sobering fifth defeat.Lightning’s chase began stutteringly with both openers dismissed by the fifth over when Josh Bohannon sliced Matt Montgomery, the South African who plays for Germany and offers off-spin from an idiosyncratic action, to the infield. Olly Stone’s first ball, two overs before, had done Vince Wells for pace when he top-edged a hook to square leg.But Jennings smashed the first ball of Stone’s next over for six and Lancashire reached the end of their ninth over with 82 for 2 where Nottinghamshire had laboured in contrast to just 46 for 4 at the same stage earlier.Patterson-White’s left-arm spin was then introduced on a used pitch and his maiden performance grew yet more impressive when he removed Tom Bruce’s middle stump for 22 with his second ball.Lightning, however, still posted their hundred by the 13th over with fully 47 balls available for their last 54 runs and Jennings close to a fifty he then brought up with some ease from 41 balls as Stone’s third over (the 15th) went for eleven, leaving the target just 31 runs distant.But to his very evident annoyance at not finishing the job, Jennings, the captain, was bowled by Calvin Harrison, one of the six spinners employed in the match, and it was left to Matty Hurst and Steven Croft, 19 years his senior, to take them home with nine balls to spare. Hurst finished unbeaten on 33.In two of their previous four games, the Outlaws had begun well but crashed catastrophically from 104 for 1 to 154 all out and 54 for 0 to 127 all out. This time the start proved a disaster.Joe Clarke faced one ball from which he took a leg-bye before being run out in the opening over, attempting to come back for a second for Alex Hales after a misfield at mid-wicket. Hales then sliced to the backward point boundary for four in the fourth over from Saqib Mahmood whose fourth ball earlier was a lifting beauty that had undone Will Young.From 22 for 3 it became 45 for 4 when Matt Montgomery, swinging across the line, was leg-before to a Wells leg-break and though 32 followed in 20 balls, a Lyndon James reverse-swipe saw him comprehensively bowled by Green before, next over, further confusion found Haynes run out as the non-striker when seeking a single that Tom Moores never considered.With 41 balls left, at 80 for 6, late runs were at last sporadically plundered thanks to Patterson-White, one Jack Blatherwick over conceding 21 and the last, from Mahmood taken for 18, but a target of 154 never looked enough.

Manchester City could lose a young “game-changer” who has been compared to Kevin de Bruyne, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich keen on a move.

Man City hunt top four finish as Pep prepares for FA Cup semi-final

Pep Guardiola’s side still have a lot to play for between now and the end of the season, with silverware on offer in the FA Cup and a top-four finish in the Premier League being targeted.

Later this month, the Sky Blues will take on Nottingham Forest at Wembley, looking to reach the final of the FA Cup against either Aston Villa or Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, in the league, City have some must-win fixtures coming up if they are to finish in the top four ahead of Forest, Chelsea, Newcastle and Villa.

It promises to be an entertaining end to the campaign at the Etihad Stadium, and ahead of the summer, De Bruyne has already announced his Manchester departure.

Man City’s next 5 fixtures	Date
Man City vs Crystal Palace	April 12
Everton vs Man City	April 19
Man City vs Aston Villa	April 22
Nottingham Forest vs Man City (FA Cup)	April 27
Man City vs Wolves	May 2

The attacking midfielder will leave the club after 10 years as a City player, with rumours of a potential move to Saudi Arabia or the MLS on the cards.

De Bruyne could be one of many to leave ahead of the 2025/26 season, with the futures of Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish both unclear at this stage.

Now, a teenage gem at the Etihad is also attracting interest, and interestingly, he has been mooted as the next De Bruyne.

Man City gem Divine Mukasa attracting Bayern Munich interest

As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Man City youngster Divine Mukasa is catching the eye of both Bayern Munich and Ajax.

The two European giants have been scouting the teenager, but it is added that City want to keep Mukasa in Manchester.

Recently, Mukasa has been dubbed as a talent who could be even bigger than Nico O’Reilly, a defender who has been flourishing under Guardiola in 2025.

Mukasa has been dubbed as a “game changer” by football scout Antonio Mango, whereas The Secret Scout has compared the 17-year-old to De Bruyne.

24-time league champions set to contact £230k-p/w Man City star over exit

Man City could be set to lose another player for nothing come the end of the season.

By
Brett Worthington

Apr 7, 2025

Meanwhile, Man City’s official website describes Mukasa as a skilful and creative midfielder: “A player that thrives in tight spaces and well capable of scoring and assisting goals, Divine adds an extra level of creativity to every side he plays in.”

The attacking midfielder has produced a whopping 42 goal contributions in just 35 games in 2024/25 at youth level, so he could be the next to make the break into Guardiola’s first-team plans, should City keep hold of his services.

Southampton are taking significant steps in their search for a new manager after sacking Will Still last week.

The Saints, after an underwhelming start to the campaign, sit 19th in the Championship, just six points above the relegation zone, having won just three of their 14 league games so far.

Southampton’s turbulent season took another dramatic turn when the club parted ways with Still after just five months in charge. The 33-year-old’s brief tenure at St Mary’s came to an abrupt end following a 2-0 home defeat to Preston North End, their third consecutive loss and fifth straight game without a win at the time.

Still recorded a dismal average of just 0.92 points per game in the Championship, leaving Southampton chiefs with no choice but to pull the plug.

Championship

13

2

6

5

12

0.92

EFL Cup

3

2

0

1

6

2.00

Total

16

4

6

6

18

1.13

via Transfermarkt

It marked yet another chapter in Sport Republic’s chaotic ownership, with Still becoming the latest in a long line of coaches sacked during their regime.

Still arrived with growing pedigree after a few successful years in France and was once regularly linked with a Premier League move, but struggled to translate that success to English football.

The Belgian native was tasked with securing an immediate return to the Premier League following last season’s relegation, but instead left Southampton perilously close to a second consecutive drop that would represent an unthinkable disaster.

Now, the process to hire his successor has begun, and there are a few noteworthy candidates who are being mentioned by the media.

Under-21s boss Tonda Eckert has been appointed interim manager and immediately guided the team to a 2-1 victory at QPR, temporarily halting the rot. However, Southampton’s hierarchy are actively searching for a permanent replacement.

Reports suggest high-flying Coventry City boss Frank Lampard is an ambitious option for Southampton, with the Saints also weighing up a reunion for Russell Martin.

A number of other candidates are being assessed too, including Stoke City manager Mark Robins (talkSPORT), England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley, and Gary O’Neil.

In terms of the latter, Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath shared news earlier this week that O’Neil is a strong contender for the Southampton job, and there’s now been another update on the Englishman’s potential appointment.

Southampton 'looking to finalise' Gary O'Neil deal after making approach

As per TEAMtalk, O’Neil is emerging as the clear frontrunner to take charge.

The south coast club have now made an approach to O’Neil over their vacant position, with talks expected to intensify in the coming days as both parties “look to finalise an agreement”.

O’Neil is said to be in pole position to become Southampton’s new manager, with the club having admirers of his previous Premier League work.

Southampton’s search has apparently narrowed to three main candidates. Former Manchester United star Michael Carrick, who was most recently manager of Middlesbrough, remains in contention due to his strong reputation, while Martin is also still a candidate and would be open to discussions about returning to St Mary’s after his Rangers dismissal.

O’Neil is said to be “highly respected” in Premier League circles after his work at Bournemouth and Wolves (Miguel Delaney), even if his tenures did end in sour fashion, and he was briefly considered for the West Ham job recently.

The 42-year-old steered a hapless Bournemouth side clear of relegation in his first season with limited resources, and took charge of Wolves in very difficult circumstances after Julen Lopetegui’s sudden exit — briefly steadying the ship at Molineux.

His track record suggests that O’Neil could be an astute appointment by Sport Republic, and given his free agent status, Southampton won’t have to fork out a compensation fee.

O’Neil has also been called an “underrated” tactician.

Over time, we have seen some iconic central defenders come and go, with Italy especially having the knack of producing some of the greatest centre-backs football has ever witnessed.

From Paolo Maldini to Franco Baresi, Gli Azzurri have had some of the best, but who ranks at the top as the premier centre-back?

The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Here is a look at 20 of the greatest central defenders in footballing history, factoring in their longevity, consistency at the highest level, while also highlighting team and personal accolades.

20 Fernando Hierro

Starting the countdown is Fernando Hierro, who made more than 600 appearances for Real Madrid during a 14-year stint at the Bernabeu.

Even capable of playing in a defensive midfield role if required, Hierro had unbelievable ability on the ball for a centre-back, something which helped him play in the Premier League at the age of 39. The Spaniard won five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies with Madrid.

19 Giorgio Chiellini

One of numerous Italians on the list is Giorgio Chiellini, who retired in 2023 at the age of 39 after a glittering 23-year career.

A no-nonsense defender with his aggressive, physical, and tenacious approach, Chiellini proved that an old-fashioned defender can still star in the modern game.

He spent 18 years with Juventus, winning nine Serie A titles and the European Championships with Italy.

18 Thiago Silva

Thiago Silva is one of those defenders who got better with age, starring in Italy, France and England with AC Milan, PSG and Chelsea.

A Champions League winner, Silva was an exceptional reader of the game and made defending at the highest level look incredible easy, while also having brilliant passing vision.

Nicknamed the ‘monster’ due to his imposing playing style, Silva possesses much more quality than just his physical ability.

17 Rio Ferdinand

Compared to Pele by a youth coach at just 11 years of age, Rio Ferdinand transformed into one of England’s best ever centre-backs across a 19-year career.

Quick and agile in his prime, Ferdinand was an extremely composed centre-back and great reader of the game.

Inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, he won six top flight titles with Man Utd, while also captaining Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to Champions League glory in 2008.

16 Jaap Stam

Another iconic Red Devils centre-back was Jaap Stam, however, his stay at Man Utd was much shorter and his exit was a decision Ferguson regretted the most in his career.

A powerful defender in the air and quick across the grass, Stam was named as the Dutch Player of the Year in 1997 and also won the Champions League at Old Trafford.

15 Ronald Koeman

Continuing the Netherlands theme takes us to Ronald Koeman, who is the greatest goalscoring central defender the game has seen.

Incredibly, Koeman scored more than 250 goals during his career, impressing with his long-range shooting, free kick ability and reliability as a penalty taker.

A European Cup winner with PSV and Barcelona, Koeman, who sometimes played in midfield, was even the Champions League top scorer in 1994, and his defensive attributes were also world-class.

14 ​​​Lilian Thuram

​​​Lilian Thuram saved his only two France goals for the biggest stage, a World Cup semi final win over Croatia in 1998.

Known as an incredibly athletic defender in his prime, Thuram, who can also be considered one of football’s greatest ever right-backs, also starred centrally during a 17-year career which saw him star for Monaco, Parma, Juventus and Barcelona.

Thuram won the World Cup and Euros and was named France’s Player of the Year in 1997.

13 Marcel Desailly

Nicknamed The Rock, Marcel Desailly starred for France across 11 years, helping his country win the World Cup in 1998 and then the Euros in 2000 alongside Thuram.

He was named in the team of the tournaments for both of those triumphs, and at club level, Desailly starred for Nantes, AC Milan and Chelsea.

A versatile centre-back who led by example, Desailly improved any side he went into and arguably went under the radar during his career.

12 Virgil van Dijk

Arguably the best centre-back in world football since his move to Liverpool in 2018, Virgil van Dijk has helped transform the Reds into winners again.

Van Dijk has it all and makes defending look incredibly easy at the highest level. Physical presence, speed, ability on the ball, world-class attackers have struggled to get past the Dutchman on a regular basis.

One of the most expensive centre-backs in history, Van Dijk has been worth every penny of the £75m Liverpool spent.

11 Carles Puyol

A Barcelona and Spain legend, Carles Puyol won everything for club and country and was a part of the most dominant sides the game has ever seen.

Under Pep Guardiola at the Nou Camp, Puyol captained Barcelona to La Liga and Champions League glory, while with Spain, he won the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup.

He was named UEFA’s Defender of the Year in 2006 and in the World XI Team of the 21st Century.

Bavuma, part of the series defeats in 2015 and 2019, hails South Africa after their 2-0 sweep of India

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-20256:06

Karim: ‘Harmer’s variations upset India batters’

Temba Bavuma hailed South Africa’s “incredible achievement” as they completed a 2-0 clean sweep over India, winning their first series in the country in 25 years. Bavuma, who was part of the squad when South Africa lost 3-0 in India in 2019 – and 3-0 in 2015 – said the victory tasted even “sweeter” as he knows the feeling of being “on the other side of the result.””It’s not every day that you get to think that you can come to India and walk away with a 2-0 series win,” Bavuma said after South Africa trounced India in Guwahati by 408 runs, their second-highest margin of victory ever by runs. “I think what makes it sweeter as well for some of us within the group is the fact that we’ve been on the other side of the result.South Africa, the reigning World Test Champions, have been on an incredible run in Test cricket in the last year and a bit. Since August 2024, they have lost only one out of 15 Tests, with Bavuma winning all of his 12 Tests as captain. According to Bavuma, the positive change in mindset and “guys wanting to be the men for the team” have been the biggest reasons behind South Africa’s recent success.Related

• 'Just dream a bit' – How South Africa turned hope into history

• Jansen reaches great heights and carries South Africa with him

• SA coach Shukri Conrad: 'Wanted them to really grovel'

• Harmer flips Test cricket in India upside down

“There’s a big shift in our mindset in terms of what we want to do when we’re out there on the field of play,” Bavuma said. “We want to play what is in front of us and adapt accordingly. Guys go out there quite clear on their roles and what they’re trying to do. There’s a strong sense in each other that anyone on their day can do it for the team. As a captain, sometimes it’s very hard to take the ball out of the bowler’s hands. Everyone wants to continue bowling and you see it with the batting as well.”We don’t have the guys who go on and score big 150s and all, but we’ll have four or five different guys going on to score 60s and 70s. I can go on forever about the team, but I feel like the team is in a good space.”

‘Struggled to take the ball out of Harmer and Maharaj’s hands’

Bavuma also heaped praise on his two premier spinners, Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, particularly pointing out the competitiveness between the two, which in turn has boded well for the team. That South Africa won the Test series with Kagiso Rabada out due to injury impressed Bavuma even more.”Simon, as a spinner, as a player, he’s got the wealth of experience,” Bavuma said. “He complements Keshav quite well. A little bit on the taller side, a bit more guile with the ball. What I appreciate is the competitiveness between the two. They are the two guys that I have struggled to take the ball out of their hands.Simon Harmer and Aiden Markram celebrate Rishabh Pant’s wicket•Associated Press

“Simon was the man for us in this series. We’re so used to Kesh being that guy. We’re in a good space from a bowling point of view. A guy like Simon, Kesh as well on his days, them stepping up, having lost a guy like KG [Rabada] who was a big player for us, again speaks about the need for the guys to want to do it for the team.”For Harmer, this was a sweet comeback after ten years. Having toured India back in 2015, with limited returns, he finished the two-match series with 17 wickets in four innings at an incredible average of 8.94 and said he will now go back with “a lot more fond memories”.”It’s been a long road,” Harmer said after winning the Player-of-the-Series award. “Ten years later, back here, completely different feelings. I’m going to leave with a lot more fond memories than I did the last time but I think as a whole, as a team, for us to leave here 2-0, that was always the goal. And for us to get over the line against a very good Indian team, I think it was a hell of an effort.”Despite an incredible series, Harmer is not guaranteed a place in the starting XI, with Maharaj being South Africa’s preferred spinner, particularly at home.”Keshav’s record speaks for itself. He’s an incredible bowler and he deserves to be the number one spinner,” he said. “I’m very happy playing the supporting role and if the opportunity presents itself for me to play, I try and take it with both hands. At the end of the day, I just need to make sure that I’m getting better, keep trying to evolve, keep trying to get better.”

A quick explainer for the controversy in the Asia Cup Rising Stars game and the new law for boundary catching

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2025There was controversy and confusion during Pakistan A’s win over India A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars on November 16, when a relay catch between India A fielders Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir was given not out by the third umpire.Pakistan A opener Maaz Sadaqat took on India A spinner Suyash Sharma at the start of the 10th over of the chase, looking to clear the cow corner boundary. Wadhera ran to his right from deep midwicket and caught the ball, but, before momentum took him over the boundary rope, lobbed it towards Dhir, who was running back from long-on.The third umpire deemed the catch not legal, because of the interpretation of the new ICC rules about fielders making contact with the ball after jumping from outside the boundary.The new rule, which has been in effect since June this year, states that if a fielder jumps from beyond the rope and makes contact with the ball, he then has to first land back within the field of play for it to be out.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the case of the Wadhera-Dhir catch, Wadhera clearly caught the ball and released it while still within the field of play. Even though his foot was in the air over the rope, it was still considered within the field of play according to the rules, as he had not grounded his foot beyond the rope.He tossed the ball to Dhir and then stepped over the boundary rope and outside the field of play. It should not have mattered that he landed outside the rope as he was not in contact with the ball after going beyond the rope. It also should not have mattered that he was outside the rope when Dhir took the catch. So even by the new rules, the catch should have been given out.ESPNcricinfo checked with two experienced international umpires and both confirmed the decision taken was a misinterpretation of the laws by the third umpire to rule this not out.So Wadhera and Dhir were unlucky to have their catch disallowed. Subsequently, the umpires also incorrectly ruled it a dot ball, and not a six.Sadaqat, who was batting on 56 at the time, finished unbeaten on 79 as Pakistan A chased the target of 137 in the 13.2 overs.

England’s attack leader endures a luckless day with DRS but still prises out two key wickets

Matt Roller02-Jul-2025

Chris Woakes trapped Yashasvi Jaiswal in front, and the batter survived on umpire’s call•PA Images via Getty Images

“That is a f***ing joke,” Chris Woakes was caught muttering to himself on Edgbaston’s giant screen, after umpire Sharfuddoula’s on-field decision of not out was upheld via umpire’s call by the DRS. It was out of earshot, but reflected both a rare outward glimpse of Woakes’ inner steel and his disbelief that he would end a faultless opening spell with a solitary wicket to his name.It was also a moment that summed up England’s mood on the first day, as their attack toiled hard with some success only to walk off at the close with India slightly ahead of the game after being sent in. Woakes was the clear pick of the attack, although his figures of 2 for 59 from 18 overs failed to reflect the problems that he caused, particularly with the new ball.The specific source of Woakes’ chagrin was an lbw shout against Karun Nair that he was convinced should have been given out. Nair shouldered arms to a ball delivered from wide on the crease, which ball-tracking projected would have gone on to hit some – but not enough – of his off stump. It left him seething to the extent that he even called for a law change.Related

• Record-breaking Gill puts India in complete command

• Live Report – Shubman Gill and Akash Deep clinch victory for India

• Death by a thousand cuts – how Stokes waited and baited Jaiswal

• Rishabh Pant rises to No. 6 among Test batters; Travis Head also gains in rankings

• Gill holds India together with second hundred as captain

“I need to be careful: I’ve had some [decisions] go my way over the years,” Woakes said. “In general, DRS has been good for the game. A lot more right decisions are given [than before]. The only thing I would like to come in is that if a batsman decides to leave the ball and it’s still hitting the stumps, I think that should be out – regardless if it’s clipping or not.”It was the second umpire’s call lbw in three overs that went against him, and the first could have changed the course of the day. Woakes told his team-mates in the huddle that the ball – from over the wicket to the left-hand batter – had “100 %” pitched in line and was vindicated by the DRS, but HawkEye projected a bail-trimmer, which meant Yashasvi Jaiswal survived on 12.”We could have easily had them 30 for 3,” Woakes said. “It was a pretty frustrating morning, really. Obviously emotions run high when you are desperate to do well for the team, do well for yourself, and it would’ve been nice… had those decisions gone our way, the day looks completely different, but that is Test cricket and we move on.”His first wicket came between the two referrals, and was the culmination of a severe working-over for KL Rahul. Woakes’ lengths were far more consistent at Edgbaston than they had been at Headingley last week, and his line was immaculate. Rahul played out consecutive maidens but, after two tight leaves, chopped the ball on to his stumps while defending off the back foot.2:06

‘Frustrating’ – Woakes on the DRS decisions that went India’s way

Woakes celebrated with a look to the skies, in memory of his late father Roger, who died last May. Woakes has a new tattoo dedicated to his father and has felt his absence keenly at his home venue. “He’s always on my mind, that’s for sure,” he said, his voice wavering. “There are moments where you certainly think about him. He loved his cricket; he would’ve loved this week.”But his plan to Nair eventually paid dividends against another batter: in his third spell, after a change of ends – and umpires – Woakes went wide on the crease, convincing Nitish Kumar Reddy to leave the ball alone. It nipped in off the seam to take out his off stump, highlighting Woakes’ adjustment to a slow pitch where bowled and lbw were the main modes of dismissal.”It felt like the stumps were in play all day,” Woakes said. “It didn’t feel like a massive nick-off wicket, to be honest; it didn’t feel like it had the pace in it for that… It was something which we were looking for. Basically, it was trying to find the right length that allowed you to be full enough not to get driven, but still bring the stumps into play.”0:53

Aaron: Marked improvement by the English bowling unit

Woakes made an inauspicious start to this series, taking 1 for 148 across 43 overs at Headingley, and had been noticeably struggling for rhythm. It was no surprise that he looked sharper on Wednesday, in only his fourth first-class appearance of 2025 – “I’ve always been better for overs under the belt,” he has previously said – not least given the venue.”Across a career, you don’t get that many games at your home venue: this is my fourth Test match here. They are really special weeks. You have a lot of friends and family in the ground, and I’ve got a lot of love for Warwickshire, which goes deep. It’s all I’ve ever known… There’s a lot of people behind the scenes who support you through the good times and the bad.”Woakes spent 18 months either injured or out of favour between the end of Joe Root’s tenure as captain and the 16th Test of the Stokes-McCullum era, but has since become an integral part of England’s attack again. They have only lost once with him in the side in the last two years, and at 36, he has finally emerged from James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s considerable shadows.A hard-earned reputation as one of cricket’s good guys has sometimes worked against Woakes, making it relatively easy for coaches to leave him out – or for umpires to turn down his appeals. But today his obvious exasperation reflected a self-evident truth: reaching this level of sport demands talent, but staying there for as long as Woakes has demands tenacity, too.