Bangladesh vice-captain feels the bowling performance was a positive from this T20 World Cup campaign

Mohammad Isam28-Jun-2024

Taskin Ahmed is bowled•ICC/Getty Images

Poor form from the batters was the primary reason for Bangladesh’s disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, according to vice captain Taskin Ahmed. He said that almost everything went according to plan except the batting during Bangladesh’s 47-day tour of the Americas.In a tough environment for batters across the tournament, Bangladesh’s batting unit had the lowest collective average among the Super Eight teams.Bangladesh’s top three failed to give them a start in any of their innings with Litton Das scoring the lone fifty from those positions. Towhid Hridoy’s 153 runs at 128.57 was their best batting performance but Shakib (111 runs at 106.73 SR) and Mahmudullah (95 runs at 94.05 SR) couldn’t provide him with enough support in the middle order.Related

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“The seniors’ off-form had an effect on the team but not off the field,” Taskin told reporters at the Dhaka airport, after the Bangladesh team’s arrival on Friday morning. “They are great team men. We stayed as a team for 47 days. Everything was fine off the field. It is quite normal that a team will have problems when important players are not in form. I am hopeful that we can recover from this, and play better soon.”Taskin said that the batters only found better pitches when they reached the West Indies but even then he said that he hadn’t seen such a long batting slump by Bangladesh in his international career.”When you talk about the batting, if you look at the statistics, I think every [teams’] batting department suffered in the USA this time. Bowlers got a lot of help. We got better [batting] wickets in the West Indies.”I haven’t seen such a long bad patch for the batters in my ten years playing for Bangladesh. I hope it goes away quickly.”We never had great numbers in T20s. We are improving slowly. We cannot just look at minus points; we are in the negative already. We are trying to get a ‘plus’. Your frustration is expected. We will give you a good win. You have to keep faith in us. We will give it our best.”Taskin was part of a strong bowling display from Bangladesh. He was returning from injury but Tanzim Hasan and legspinner Rishad Hossain led the bowling charts; Rishad remains in joint-third position among the tournament’s top wicket-takers, ahead of the final. Taskin said that it proved talented cricketers are coming up from Bangladesh.”The bowling unit has been doing well for the last few years. We have been consistent. It will keep getting better.”Tanzim and Rishad are among the tournament’s top wicket-takers. It is a positive. We have some future stars emerging from Bangladesh. It says that we have ability. What has taken place has hurt us and the fans, especially our inability to win certain matches,” he said.Taskin said that they were left disappointed with the last game against Afghanistan especially, when Bangladesh had to chase down their target in 12.1 overs to make it to the semi-finals but couldn’t get the job done.”We could have done a lot better. We were all quite disappointed with the last match. We tried to win it in 12 overs, but when we realised it wasn’t possible, we tried to win the game. We still couldn’t win.”There are positives from the campaign. Our bowlers did very well throughout the tournament. We qualified to the Super Eight. We won three matches in the T20 World Cup for the first time. So there are positives, but there are negatives too. We are disappointed like the rest of you. We didn’t play up to expectations.”

Arsenal and sporting director Andrea Berta have been working to back Mikel Arteta behind-the-scenes, with the north Londoners intent on strengthening their squad ahead of a vital Premier League campaign.

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Berta has many plates spinning as he looks to secure the best possible deals for his new club.

19/20 – winter

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£81.5m

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£900k

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£156.8m

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£1.8m

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£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

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£0

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£101.5m

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£0

The Italian is still simultaneously working on deals for both RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, as has been the case for weeks (BBC), with Arsenal’s final striker decision shaping up to be one of the most intriguing stories of this transfer window.

“Arsenal still deciding between Benjamin Sesko and Gyökeres,” said reliable transfer journalist Ben Jacobs, via X, recently.

“Andrea Berta simultaneously advancing both deals. Gyökeres would be open to Manchester United. There has been no formal rejection, but a deal to date has also never been at an advanced stage, despite suggestions.

“United have not made any formal approach to Sporting. Swedish striker one of several striker options discussed for #MUFC. Gyökeres believes he’ll still be allowed to leave Sporting for €70m. Arsenal have always been one to watch, but it will depend on Berta now because he is also in ongoing talks for Sesko at the same time.”

The Gyokeres situation in particular is getting pretty toxic to say the least.

Sporting president Frederico Varandas publicly denied claims that the 27-year-old would be allowed to leave for £60 million, even if Gyokeres remains privately convinced that’ll happen, with the club chief also stating that he won’t be blackmailed by the striker or his agent.

“I want to make one thing clear: Sporting has common sense and keeps its word,” said Varandas.

“Gyokeres scored 63 goals and 10 assists. Fantastic performance. Certainly one of the best players to have ever stepped onto Portuguese turf. And Sporting will not demand the clause.

“Now blackmail and insults, Sporting will not accept. One thing is certain: Sporting will not accept 60 million plus 10 [£60m].”

Viktor Gyokeres "dreams" of joining Arsenal

As tensions surrounding Gyokeres’ future reach boiling point, Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport has at least moved to provide some good news for Arsenal.

Serie A heavyweights Juventus have been expressing an interest in the Sweden international recently, but the Old Lady have been told something crystal clear – Gyokeres “dreams” of a move to Arsenal, and they’re his top priority.

While Corriere reiterates that the north Londoners have seen a low-ball offer rejected already, the newspaper has provided clarity on Gyokeres’ current price tag, with Sporting demanding close to around £70 million to agree a deal.

Juve were actually willing to surpass Arsenal’s opening offer, but after receiving Gyokeres’ “refusal”, they’re now moving on to other targets like free agent Jonathan David.

Berta knows the price at which Sporting will begin to loosen their hold on the star striker, with the 53-year-old now set to carry on pondering his imperative decision before advancing further in talks – Sesko or Gyokeres.

“I know Gyokeres very well personally, I was a bit of a mentor for him when he played for Brommapojkarna,” former Arsenal midfielder Anders Limpar told FotbollDirekt.

“He’s a fantastically hardworking forward who scores a lot of goals. If we at Arsenal [were to] buy Gyokeres, then he will definitely call me. But then to see Gyokeres at Arsenal, that would be crazy.

“His work rate, he runs like a madman. When it doesn’t work out for Viktor, he works his way into the game with uncomfortable runs.”

Surrey 170 for 9 (Roy 55, Pope 48, Taylor 3-27, Payne 3-37) tied with Gloucestershire 170 for 6 (Webster 40)David Payne grabbed a breathless tie for Gloucestershire against Surrey, dismissing both Tom Curran and Sean Abbott in a brilliant final over in which he also conceded just four runs plus a scampered bye to the keeper.Surrey needed just six runs to win after Curran’s breezy 18 had followed Jason Roy’s 55 and Ollie Pope’s 48, which had spearheaded a thrilling chase under the Kia Oval floodlights, but finished on 170 for 9.But the veteran Payne was equal to the task, yorking Curran with his first ball and having Abbott caught in the deep off his third. Then came the bye, and a two driven by Jordan Clark. But, with scores level and the field in, Payne fired in another yorker that Clark could only dig out back towards the bowler. He set off for the winning single but Payne only had to move a few yards to his right to take the ball and, jubilantly, run him out at the bowler’s end.Miles Hammond’s 25-ball 33 earlier combined nicely with Cameron Bancroft’s 32 from 26 to post 67 for Gloucestershire’s first wicket and despite a mid-innings stutter, in which four wickets fell for 28 runs, they ultimately reached 170 for 6.All-rounder Beau Webster clubbed sixes off Gus Atkinson and Curran in a 31-ball 40, before holing out to the penultimate ball of the innings, after Ben Charlesworth had also provided late momentum with a quickfire 24, taking two sixes off Abbott in the 16th over.Surrey’s reply began badly, with Dan Lawrence edging Payne to slip for four in the opening over and Gloucestershire’s other left-arm paceman, Matt Taylor, striking with his first ball to have Laurie Evans caught behind for six to leave the home side 20 for 2 in the fourth over.Roy and Pope, though, rallied Surrey with a stand of 96, a county T20 record for the third wicket against Gloucestershire, but at the halfway mark Surrey were 77 for 2, only three runs ahead of their opponents at the same stage.Webster’s tight medium pace was at this stage keeping Gloucestershire in the game but Pope, on 25 and with Surrey 87 for 2, was badly dropped off Webster in the 12th over, by Josh Shaw at short third.With 81 required from eight, Payne was recalled but Pope flamboyantly scooped his first ball back for six over the keeper’s head and hit the next high and straight for four. Roy then flipped a six over long leg to reach a 37-ball fifty in an over costing 20.Marchant de Lange did bowl Roy, who hit two sixes and five fours, but Smith drove his first ball authoratively for four and an equation of 44 from the last five overs became 32 from four after Smith drove De Lange high for six and collected a fortuitous four for a gloved hook on to helmet and away to third.On 20, though, Smith mishit Matt Taylor to long on and, later in the same 17th over, Pope sliced to point. Curran took two fours from the returning Webster but Dom Sibley was leg-before to Shaw for 1 before that dramatic final over.Gloucestershire openers Hammond and Bancroft did well to take 50 from the initial six-over powerplay, especially after Spencer Johnson and Atkinson had allowed just five from the first two overs.Pacy left-armer Johnson, however, was scooped spectacularly by his fellow Australian Bancroft for a remarkable six to fine leg in his second over, and Bancroft then lofted off-spinner Lawrence straight for another six.Hammond also slammed Lawrence over mid off for six and in an eventful eighth over swung Clark for his third maximum, after Bancroft had pulled a four, before losing his off stump attempting an optimistic ramp stroke.Bancroft departed to the first ball of a 10th over costing just a single, lofting Curran to deep cover, James Bracey (9) hit Abbott to deep midwicket and Jack Taylor was needlessly run out for seven, stranded when he was sent back by Webster in the 13th over.

With a new era on its way at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, The Friedkin Group and Everton are reportedly looking to sign fresh stars to match their new ground, which could yet see a £50m+ winger arrive.

Everton eyeing attacking reinforcements

It’s not the first time that the Toffees have been linked with attacking additions so far this summer and their plan of attack is clear. Looking to make a statement ahead of their first full season at the helm, Friedkin’s priority, based on recent rumours, is to add much-needed star power to David Moyes’ frontline.

That plan should come as no surprise, either. Whilst Everton improved their attacking numbers last season, they still lacked a consistent threat within their frontline even after Beto’s form picked up under Moyes. And with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still on course to leave the club as a free agent this summer, the Merseyside club must invest up front.

2024/25

42

2023/24

40

2022/23

34

The main factor behind their struggle is clear for all to see. Last season, although improved, was still not a campaign full of goals to savour and only the bottom three managed to score less than Everton.

That stat, alone, may have been enough to send Everton marching towards the transfer market with rumours coming thick and fast as to who could arrive this summer.

Already, names such as Jack Grealish have already threatened to steal the headlines in what would certainly be a statement move by Friedkin. The Premier League-winner is on his way out of Manchester City, having been left out of their Club World Cup squad, and Everton could take full advantage.

He’s not the only name on their radar, however. Reports are also indicating that those in Merseyside have also set their sights on the “king of Lisbon”.

Everton battling to sign Geny Catamo

If not Grealish, then Friedkin could spend big on a talented alternative. According to Caught Offside, Everton are now battling to sign Geny Catamo from Sporting Club this summer. They are reportedly joined by Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Aston Villa and others in a hectic race to welcome the 24-year-old in the coming months, but the deal won’t come cheap.

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As reported, Catamo has a release clause worth as much as €60m (£51m) in Portugal and Sporting Club look likely to demand that in full if they are to sell their winger this summer. Of course, that verdict should not come as a surprise, given that the Everton target was dubbed the “King of Lisbon” by scout Jacek Kulig after he scored the winning goal against Benfica last year.

Whether Friedkin and Everton deem Catamo a player who is worth over £50m will be the big question in their pursuit. The winger himself, meanwhile, could yet decide to rescind his crown in Portugal this summer amid several interested parties.

Tottenham Hotspur are seen as favourites to sign a marquee player this summer, giving new manager Thomas Frank a potential boost as the north Londoners seek to build upon their trophy-winning 2024/2025 campaign.

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Frank has considerable shoes to fill after Ange Postecoglou ended the club’s long wait for a piece of major silverware.

Spurs’ historic 1-0 win against Man United in the Europa League final will live long in the memory, and while the Australian led Spurs to a torrid domestic campaign, breaking their record for most Premier League defeats in a single season (22), Postecoglou will go down in Lilywhites folklore as the manager who won their first European trophy since 1984.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Postecoglou was also a popular figure among the players, with James Maddison, Pedro Porro and Lucas Bergvall among the squad members to speak out in public defence of their former manager.

Nevertheless, with the 59-year-old now gone, and linked with a surprise MLS move to Los Angeles FC, Frank must now steady the ship and regalvanize his new squad ahead of a vital campaign where they’ll be back in the Champions League.

Chairman Daniel Levy reportedly has every intention of backing his preferred candidate to replace Postecoglou, and Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is widely rumoured to be one of their top attacking targets.

The England international’s 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season tell just half the story of Eze’s undoubted quality. The 26-year-old was a vocal point under Oliver Glasner throughout 2024/2025, bagging the winner against Man City in their 1-0 FA Cup final win over Pep Guardiola’s side – a result which ended Palace’s history-long wait for a major trophy.

It is little wonder there are suggestions that Tottenham are ready to pay Eze’s £68 million release clause, especially considering 2024/2025 may have been Son Heung-min’s last season at Spurs, as clubs in Saudi Arabia consider poaching the club legend after 10 years in N17.

Tottenham favourites to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace

The major worry for Levy is Arsenal’s concrete interest in Eze, and there is apparently every possibility that Mikel Arteta’s side could hijack Spurs’ pursuit of the former QPR sensation.

However, despite the stiff competition for his signature, journalist Graeme Bailey has told TBR Football that Tottenham are currently leading the race for Eze, and are the “most advanced” of every team in pursuit of the “wonderful player”.

“Eberechi Eze is expecting to leave Crystal Palace this summer, that is no secret,” said Bailey.

“He has a release clause and Steve Parish is open to taking installments to a certain degree but any agreement will need to be reached with Palace. Eze himself has made it clear he is open to options, and a host of Premier League clubs have made contact.

“As we have reported, the most advanced are Tottenham, and we are told the player would welcome a move.

“But Arsenal have indeed made enquiries as they see him as a potential option on their left – but same with Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United, Newcastle and Aston Villa – they have all made enquiries to some extent this year.”

It has already been a summer of great change at Ibrox for Glasgow Rangers, with Russell Martin arriving as the new head coach and a new ownership group taking over.

Kevin Thelwell has also joined as the club’s new sporting director, whilst technical director Nils Koppen has moved on, and the changes may not be finished there.

There is also set to be some movement around the playing squad as Martin and Thelwell look to build a team that can compete for the Scottish Premiership title next season.

One player who is set to arrive at Ibrox in short order is Bournemouth full-back Max Aarons, who is due to join the Light Blues on a season-long loan from the Premier League outfit.

The former Norwich City star, who trained with Martin during their time together in Norfolk, will come in to provide competition for the starting right-back berth.

It will be interesting to see what the signing of Aarons will mean for club captain James Tavernier, who has been the first-choice right-back at Ibrox for ten seasons.

What the future may hold for James Tavernier

The 33-year-old star has one year left on his deal in Glasgow and said towards the end of this season that he is “settled” and is not looking beyond next summer yet.

This does not suggest that the English veteran is in a rush to move on from Ibrox during the current summer transfer window, after links to Trabzonspor and Al-Ettifaq last year.

Instead of pushing Tavernier out of the door with a year left on his contract, Martin should aim to keep hold of the defender to utilise his leadership skills whilst reducing his importance on the pitch.

The signing of Aarons could allow the skipper to explore the potential of being a centre-back option for Rangers moving forward, after five appearances in that position in the 2024/25 campaign.

Clearances

9

12

Interceptions

0

1

Tackles

1

2

Dribbled past

0x

0x

Ground duels won

2/3

2/2

As you can see in the table above, Tavernier caught the eye as a centre-back over two legs against Fenerbahce in the Europa League, as the Gers made their way through to the quarter-finals of the tournament.

This suggests that the potential is there for the experienced star to continue his career at Ibrox as a centre-back if he can continue to deliver impressive performances in that new role.

Whilst there is potential for Tavernier to reinvent himself to prolong his time in Glasgow, there is one Rangers defender who should be moved on this summer.

Rangers flop set for talks with Russell Martin

According to journalist Scott Burns, Dutch central defender Robin Propper is set to hold “talks” with Martin over his future at the club before the end of this week.

The reporter adds that the 31-year-old flop is due to return to pre-season training with the Light Blues this week, as they ramp up preparations for their Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos next month.

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Burns also reveals that FC Twente are keen to sign the centre-back this summer, one year after they sold him to the Scottish Premiership giants ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Propper is now set to talk with Martin over a potential move away from Ibrox this week, and it remains to be seen what the manager’s thoughts on the situation are.

Given his performances in his debut season in Scotland and the fact that there is a club interested in signing him permanently, in FC Twente, the Light Blues head coach must allow the centre-back to leave Glasgow in the coming weeks.

Why Rangers should sell Robin Propper

The Dutch dud must go before Tavernier is moved on from Ibrox because the captain has more potential to be a useful player for Martin in the 2025/26 campaign, and potentially beyond that.

As aforementioned, the English ace has ten years of experience at Ibrox as the first-choice right-back and has the potential to reinvent himself as a centre-back, which means that he could provide value in multiple positions.

Being the club captain, Tavernier also brings leadership to the team and that can be valuable to Martin whether he is in the team or on the bench, as he is a big voice in the dressing room and commands respect.

Propper, meanwhile, does not have that element in his favour and does not have the positional versatility in his favour either, as he has only played as a centre-back for the Light Blues.

Former Gers ace Derek Ferguson noted that the defender was “struggling” with the physicality and intensity of Scottish football, as he was dribbled past 11 times in 22 starts in the Premiership.

Propper also struggled with the physicality involved in playing on the European stage for the Light Blues, as evidenced by his performances in the Europa League.

Appearances

10

Clean sheets

1

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.8

Dribbled past

4x

Ground duel success rate

45%

Aerial duel success rate

44%

As you can see in the table above, the experienced defender was dominated in duels on the deck and in the air in the competition, which shows that opposition players found it too easy to get the better of him in physical contests.

These statistics and the criticism of his physicality in the Premiership suggest that Propper is simply not cut out to be a centre-back for Rangers as he is not suited to the style of football in Scotland.

At the age of 31, the Dutchman is not a young player with time on his side to develop and improve that part of his game, which is why the Light Blues must look to part ways with him this summer, especially before they look to move on from Tavernier.

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In fact, the captain’s foray into the centre-back position could result in him taking Propper’s place in the squad as an option in that area of the pitch for Martin next term.

Aston Villa are now one to watch in the race for an “unbelievable” player, with Unai Emery considered a big admirer, according to a report.

Emery may have to reshape Villa squad this summer

There have been widespread reports suggesting that Emiliano Martinez may leave Villa before the start of the new campaign, and the goalkeeper is not the only player who could move on, with Youri Tielemans recently admitting his future is up in the air.

Speaking on international duty, the Belgian said: “There’s nothing definitive or ruled out about whether I’ll stay or leave. But I feel good at Aston Villa; I feel a lot of confidence from the club and the manager.”

As such, Unai Emery could be tasked with bringing in a new central midfielder this summer, while the manager may also have to bolster his attacking options, given that Marcus Rashford’s loan spell at Villa Park has now come to an end.

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Rashford featured at both centre-forward and left-wing during his time with the Villans, who have now made an approach for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, while they are also one to watch in the race for Manchester City winger Jack Grealish.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which has revealed that Emery is a big admirer of Grealish, with the manager in the belief the Englishman would add some creativity to his forward line, but there may be competition for the former Villa man.

Everton are now ready to hold talks over a deal for the left-winger, although the Toffees would only be able to orchestrate a loan deal, and Man City would have to be willing to pay a large amount of his huge £300k-a-week wages.

Newcastle United and Napoli are also in the race for the 29-year-old, with City willing to sanction a departure on the right terms this summer.

"Unbelievable" Grealish could reignite career back at Villa

Villa Park was, of course, the place where the Birmingham-born forward made a name for himself, but while he played a key role in Man City’s historic treble in the 2022-23 season, the England international’s career has stalled in recent times.

The City ace picked up just two goal contributions in the Premier League last season, having arguably regressed since the two seasons he spent in the top flight with his boyhood club.

Season	PL appearances	Goals	Assists
2019-20	36	8	6
2020-21	26	6	12

While he has failed to deliver for City in recent times, Villa fans will be well-aware the winger can be a top player on his day, given his previous exploits, and he has been lauded as “unbelievable” by Pep Guardiola.

Heading back to Villa Park would surely be of great appeal to Grealish, given that European football is set to be on offer next season, and the move could reignite his career.

“If you look at this tournament, there have been many ups and downs. So, more than us as a team, the pressure is on the Test-playing nation”

Vishal Dikshit11-Jun-2024The number of upsets – Associate teams beating Full Members – and close finishes in the T20 World Cup 2024 have made Nepal captain Rohit Paudel confident that they can beat an under-pressure Sri Lanka in Lauderhill, Florida, on June 11. It will be the second game for Nepal but a more crucial fixture for Sri Lanka, who are on the brink of elimination after losing their first two matches.”Yeah, absolutely,” Paudel replied when asked about his hopes of beating Sri Lanka. “If you see in this World Cup, you’ll see that the Associate team is beating Test-playing countries. So, it is a motivation for all of us, especially moving forward to tomorrow’s game. So as a team, we believe that we are going to win tomorrow and the way we have been preparing for the last couple of months and the way we have been playing cricket for the last one and a half years, I think the belief is always there in the team and we are looking forward to tomorrow’s game.”We want to go tomorrow and showcase our talent in front of the world.”Related

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The two results that will boost Nepal’s confidence will be USA beating Pakistan and Canada prevailing over Ireland, both results from Group A. Even apart from those, Papua New Guinea gave West Indies a scare early in the tournament and Netherlands nearly pulled off another victory against South Africa in a World Cup. Afghanistan beating New Zealand may not count as an “upset” anymore, but the margin of 84 runs against a much higher-ranked team would have defied many expectations.Paudel said his team would also draw confidence from the fact that it hasn’t been a high-scoring tournament so far and barring the opening game between USA and Canada, venues in the USA have been fairly low scoring. While New York has seen the lowest scores among the three USA grounds, Dallas has also produced scores of 106, 159 and 124 for the teams batting first, after Canada scored 194 in the tournament opener.Rohit Paudel hopes Nepal continue the trend of upsets against Sri Lanka, who have lost two out of two in this T20 World Cup•Getty Images”Scoring runs is becoming harder due to drop-in pitches and conditions,” he said. “The conditions in New York and Dallas are different from that in Florida. Florida has hosted the India-West Indies game previously. So, I think the conditions then and now are different and in the two-three days we practiced, the wickets looked good. If we respect the conditions and present our skills, we can beat any team. The team believes that. We are very confident for tomorrow.”If you look at this tournament, there have been many ups and downs. So, the team believes, and more than us, as a team, the pressure is on the Test-playing nation. We will utilise the pressure, create the pressure and we want to win the game tomorrow. So, if we do the basic things right, I think we are ahead.”Sri Lanka might have had a tough start to the World Cup with their first two clashes against Full Member sides – South Africa and Bangladesh – and even winning their last two league games may not be enough to make the Super Eight.”I think team Sri Lanka is under more pressure than us,” Paudel said. “And if you look at the conditions in the USA, there are lots of dot balls being played. Yesterday, India scored only 119 [against Pakistan]. I think overall, if you look at the conditions, whoever scores 140 is successful, and I think that’s the winning score if you look at the games. So, there are dot balls in these conditions. Whoever gets a start, they have to utilise it. Plus, like yesterday’s game, batsmen were scoring 30-40, but they were still not able to utilise the start. So, it’s a little difficult for new batsmen to play. I think as a batsman, whoever starts, we have to capitalise and get the team to win. And as a team, I think we still have that belief. The first game didn’t go as we thought, but still, as a team, we believe that we will win the next game. We are looking forward to it. We are very excited.”Lauderhill has played host to 15 completed T20Is in the past, the last of which was in August 2023, when the teams batting first – India and West Indies – had scored 178 and 165 but the teams chasing had won on both occasions. Sri Lanka had played two T20Is on this ground back in 2010 but also featured in the two warm-up games there before this World Cup, in which they first lost to Netherlands and then defended 163 against Ireland.When asked what could be a big threat from Sri Lanka, Paudel said they will have to “tackle” their spinners carefully, who have the exposure of playing “all over the world”.Nepal will get a spin boost themselves with the addition of their star legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who has arrived in the West Indies and is set to play their last two league games against South Africa and Bangladesh in St Vincent. He will miss the game against Sri Lanka, for which Nepal will have 14 players available, because he was denied a US visa twice last month and was a late addition to the Nepal squad for only two games, unless they make it to the Super Eight.

Hosts West Indies will be looking to continue their winning run at the first ever T20 World Cup game in Trinidad

Hemant Brar12-Jun-2024

New Zealand had little going for them in the opening game against Afghanistan•ICC/Getty Images

Match detailsWest Indies vs New Zealand
Tarouba, 8.30pm localBig picture – WI eye Super Eight spotSince 2015, New Zealand have been the most consistent side in World Cups, making it to the semi-final in all six editions – in 2015, 2019 and 2023 in the ODI World Cup, and in 2016, 2021 and 2022 in the T20 versions. They reached the final on three of those occasions even though they never lifted the trophy.But at the 2024 T20 World Cup, they are in danger of elimination after just one match. An 84-run thrashing at the hands of Afghanistan means the game against West Indies is almost a virtual knockout for them.The loss against Afghanistan, during which they looked rusty with bat as well as in the field, also put under scrutiny their refusal to play any warm-up games.West Indies, too, started their campaign in a stuttering manner, taking 19 overs to chase down 137 against Papua New Guinea. But they roared back to bundle out Uganda for 39 to register a 134-run win. If they beat New Zealand, they will become the first team from Group C to qualify for the Super Eight.West Indies know this is their toughest challenge yet but, as their captain Rovman Powell said, “if there is a good time to play New Zealand, it is now”.This is the first men’s T20 World Cup game in Trinidad; they did not get any in 2010. That could be one reason the ICC is expecting a strong crowd, probably a sell-out.Form guideWest Indies WWWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
New Zealand LLWWLIn the spotlight – Roston Chase and Kane WilliamsonWith just 15 T20I caps, Roston Chase is one of the least experienced players in the West Indies squad. But given the low-scoring pitches in the World Cup so far, he has emerged as one of their most important players, thanks to his ability to play the anchor’s role and bowl economical offspin. In five T20Is this year, Chase has scored 178 runs at a strike rate of 154.78 and picked up four wickets at an economy of 5.92.In the Afghanistan game, nothing symbolised New Zealand’s rustiness more than Kane Williamson’s dismissal: steering the ball into the hands of first slip off Rashid Khan. Between the last T20 World Cup and this one, Williamson played just eight T20s. Even though he was with Gujarat Titans for IPL 2024, he featured in only two games. The reason being Williamson is not your modern, power-hitting T20 batter, but he could hold the key to his team’s chances on these pitches.James Neesham is in contention to be back in the XI against West Indies•ICC/Getty Images

Team news – Sodhi in for a seamer?West Indies are likely to field the same XI for the third successive game.West Indies (probable XI): 1 Brandon King, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Roston Chase, 5 Rovman Powell (capt), 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Gudakesh MotieNew Zealand could make a couple of changes. James Neesham might come in for Mark Chapman and Ish Sodhi for Matt Henry.New Zealand (probable XI): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 James Neesham, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent BoultStats and trivia – Pooran set to overtake Gayle Among those who have scored at least 500 runs across all T20s since the start of 2024, Andre Russell (205.15) is the only one to have a strike rate in excess of 200. Mitchell Santner’s T20 economy rate in the West Indies is 5.55. Nicholas Pooran needs three runs to take over Chris Gayle’s tally of 1899 to become the leading run-getter for West Indies in T20Is. Pooran has hit the most sixes (82) in T20s this year. Pitch and conditions – Another low-scoring game?There was lots of rain on Wednesday due to which West Indies had to cancel their training. New Zealand cut short theirs because of “unacceptable” practice pitches. There is no forecast for rain on the match day, though. Since the start of 2021, the average first-innings total in Tarouba has been 167 and it could once again be a low-scoring game.Quotes”Not just playing at RR, cricket is a global sport now with a lot of technology around. So everything you do in every single game is available to everyone around the world. Thankfully for us, we have a very good analyst who has figured out some of the strengths and weaknesses of Trent Boult. So hopefully tomorrow we can mitigate his strengths and try to capitalise.”
“From talking with a few of the West Indies boys and getting some understanding of what it plays like, they said sometimes it could be a sort of scrappy wicket around that 140-150 [mark]. And then there have been some games where it has been high-scoring. I look forward to the challenge tomorrow and try to adapt as quickly as possible.”

Newcastle United are “keeping a close eye” on a Premier League star this summer amid rival interest from Everton, with the player expected to leave his current club.

Newcastle pushing for attacking signings

The Magpies felt overly reliant on the goals of Alexander Isak at times last season, highlighting the need to bring in attacking reinforcements before the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga has been mentioned as an eye-catching option, with the former Manchester United youngster impressing at the City Ground last term, helping them seal a surprise return to European football.

Meanwhile, Celtic wide man Nicolas Kuhn is considered an alternative option to the Swede, should Newcastle miss out on him. The Hoops star bagged 13 goals and nine assists for the Scottish giants last season, but it also heavily linked with RB Leipzig.

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has also been linked with a summer move to the Magpies, although the Serb would surely only come in if Isak departs, which is something many supporters will be dreading. Liverpool’s interest isn’t completely going away, but an enormous fee would be needed to prise him away.

Newcastle monitoring Premier League winner

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown claimed that Newcastle are “keeping a close eye” on Manchester City ace Jack Grealish.

“Newcastle are still keeping a close eye on Jack Grealish. There’s been a lot of talk about Everton, but I think they’re still very much in the mix. Of course, they’re not the only club interested because everybody knows about Jack’s qualities and what he can bring to the side when he’s at his best. The thing is for Newcastle, they have a lot of areas of the team where they want to improve.

“I don’t think Grealish is at the top of their list of priorities, but that’s a risk because somebody else might jump in quickly and get it done. If the opportunity comes up they’re going to be one of the clubs in for him. For now, they’ll look elsewhere but from what I hear they’re keeping a close eye on the situation. His main aim is playing regular football, he’d like to play in the Champions League but if he’s not going to be starting I expect him to look elswhere. It’s an interesting one to watch, that’s for sure.”

Grealish may have enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at City after joining for £100m on £300k-a-week from Aston Villa in 2021, but there is a feeling that he underperformed there, and that he needs to get his career back on track.

The Englishman turns 30 this year, so signing him would be a gamble by Newcastle, but he has the natural talent and maverick style to be a hit for a few years at St James’ Park.

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Grealish may relish being given more attacking freedom by Eddie Howe, compared to arguably the more tactically rigid Pep Guardiola, and he has registered four assists against the Magpies in the past, never losing to them in seven appearances.

It could make more sense to signing a younger wide option instead, considering the City man may simply have peaked as a player at this point, but it is easy to see him enjoying a new challenge, having been called a “good leader” by Guardiola in the past.