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The latest round-up of how the Australians are performing in the IPL and county cricket as the World Cup and A squads are named

Alex Malcolm16-Apr-2019Who’s in form and who’s notGlenn Maxwell isn’t warming up for the World Cup in the IPL but rather in Division Two of the County Championship for Lancashire. He failed with the bat in both innings against Middlesex at Lord’s but took a career-best 5 for 40 in the second innings to help Lancashire to a seven-wicket win. Two of his victims were Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan.David Warner’s stellar form continued with yet another half-century in the IPL against Delhi Capitals although it was his slowest of the tournament. He is the leading run-scorer in the IPL and looks set for a big World Cup campaign.Not many of his fellow World Cup squad members are in the same kind of touch, though. Steven Smith is still battling to find some rhythm. His last two IPL innings for Rajasthan Royals have yielded just 15 and 12 and he’s chewed up 37 balls in the process.Marcus Stoinis played well in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s only win of the IPL to date last week, making 28 not out from 16 balls. Two of his four boundaries came off Andrew Tye, although he was also dropped off Tye’s bowling. Stoinis failed to score against Mumbai Indians on Monday. He also hasn’t bowled in his last three matches after conceding 12 runs per over in his first two.Jason Behrendorff dismissed Virat Kohli again but has been quite expensive in his last two outings after bowling well in his first three for Mumbai.#AsheswatchPeter Siddle wasn’t selected in the Australia A four-day squad for the tour of England but he continued to push his case for the Ashes with a six-wicket haul for Essex against Surrey at The Oval. He ploughed through 49 overs for the match and claimed seven wickets in a draw. He also made 41 not out with the bat.Peter Siddle back in the wickets for Essex•Getty ImagesMarnus Labuschagne made a century for Glamorgan, just his fifth in first-class cricket, but it came on a Cardiff pitch that yielded six centuries and just 19 wickets in four days and was criticised by Northamptonshire.Matt Renshaw made 48 not out in quick time to help guide Kent home in a fourth-day run chase at Edgbaston. He also made 39 in the first innings on a surface that was described as “Test quality” by Kent assistant coach Allan Donald. Renshaw again batted at No. 3 in both innings.Cameron Bancroft made scores of 33 and 22 also batting at No. 3 on debut for Durham in a loss to Sussex in Division Two.Did you see?Chris Lynn has become a forgotten man in Australian cricket. After being groomed in the ODI team last year to potentially become a key cog in the World Cup campaign, his name was nowhere in the picture when Australia listed 34 cricketers to tour England on Monday. But he continued his good form in the IPL over the weekend making a blistering 82 from 51 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders against Chennai. He struck seven fours and six sixes in his second half-century in three matches.Injury listNathan Coulter-Nile was due to head to the IPL this week after a short rest at home following the UAE tour but he did not end up travelling and was replaced in the Royal Challengers squad by Dale Steyn. It was only precautionary and not due to any specific injury. He was named in the World Cup 15-man squad and is expected to be fully fit for the camp in Brisbane on May 2.Performance of the weekMaxwell’s five-wicket haul at Lord’s was pretty significant. Not only did it set up a victory for Lancashire, it was the first time he had taken five wickets in a first-class match. Notably, it was also the first time he had taken four wickets in a first-class innings since his Test debut in Hyderabad in March of 2013.

Lionesses star Millie Bright has admitted that she wondered whether she would play again while on the sidelines for five months with a knee injury.

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Bright has missed most of season with knee injuryLionesses star has opened up on struggles duringEven admits she mulled over potential retirementWHAT HAPPENED?

Bright has missed the majority of this season because of numerous setbacks in her recovery, eventually getting back involved with Chelsea in April having not played since November. Emma Hayes' side have certainly missed her, falling short in the Continental Cup, Women's FA Cup and then the Champions League, with Bright only able to play a few minutes off the bench in the defeat to Barcelona in the latter.

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But the England defender has at least provided a timely boost for Chelsea as they bid to retain their Women's Super League title and she is back in the Lionesses' squad too, in line for a first appearance for her country in seven months when they play against France later this month.

WHAT BRIGHT SAID

Ahead of her recall for England, Bright spoke to about how tough it has been over the last few months, admitting: "There's been ups and downs. Most people probably won't ever know about the downs. I should probably be a little bit more open about those. I don't want to accept that I've been injured and I've missed most of the last season under Emma [at Chelsea]. That's been really hard to take. I've not been able to contribute to the team when I can see they have been struggling.

"This season more than ever has been extremely difficult. I’ve had plenty of moments where I'm like: 'Eurgh, shall I just call the season and have a break and not try any more?' I've even thought: 'Is that my career done? Shall I just call it a day?' I've not really told anyone that to be honest. It's tough."

Speaking during Mental Health Awareness Week, Bright added: "I have this thing where I feel I need to protect the ones around me. As athletes, I think we're driven into being thick-skinned and being tough on the outside – so we don't show emotions. I let my walls down, but only with people like Levi [her fiancée], my family or Emma Hayes. She knows when I feel like I'm about to explode. She's like, 'It's written on your face, I can see it. Tell me what's wrong'. It annoys me that she knows even when I've not said anything! But it's been massive."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Bright hopes that speaking out about her struggles can help others. "Now more than ever in this world you have to reach out. It's so important that you tell somebody. It allows you to gather your emotions, reset and think clearly," she said. "It helps you know that you have people around you, that can support you and help you when you need it.

"Sometimes when you're struggling, you feel so alone – but there's people in the same position and probably not really knowing where to go." Just kickstart that conversation to say: 'I'm struggling.' You don't have to be a superhero and save yourself. Someone else can do that. I imagine there are so many people around every person that loves and cares for them. It's easier to fight with people around you than doing it alone."

No coach in the modern era has achieved bigger things with such a small club for as long as the 66-year-old

Gian Piero Gasperini has never won a trophy with Atalanta; Wednesday may well be his final chance. However, as far as he's concerned, the Europa League showdown with Bayer Leverkusen is about more than his personal pursuit of silverware, or ending Atalanta's 61-year wait for a major title. In Gasperini's eyes, the club's mere presence in Dublin is more important any award.

"I think the final is going to be an historic occasion and for a club like ours it's truly incredible, but this bodes well for everyone," he told reporters after Atlanta had routed Marseille 3-0 to reach the final. "Statistics seem important to some, so it feels necessary to set up a European Super League. But the example set by Atalanta can give hope to the rest. Football is a meritocracy and that is what makes the game beautiful – not inheriting some genetic rights through your lineage."

Was that a shot at Andrea Agnelli, the disgraced former Juventus president who infamously questioned Atalanta's right to play in the Champions League? Maybe, maybe not. But what's clear is that Gasperini does not believe that trophy tallies define a coach or a club – and he's right too. Because no matter what the result on Wednesday, or how or when this era ends at Atalanta, what the Bergamaschi and their boss have achieved over the past eight years is already worth celebrating.

Getty ImagesAnnual aim? Beat the drop

When Antonio Percassi acquired Atalanta in 2010, they were a Serie B side beset by problems on and off the field. The first objective was to get back into Italy's top flight; the second was to stay there. Even now, Percassi says that the aim at the start of every season is to avoid relegation – and it's easy to understand why.

Atalanta are a provincial Italian club, their ground holds just 15,000 people and their annual revenue, a significant chunk of which is generated by player sales, is usually around €200 million. This is not a club that has featured in the top 20 of Deloitte's Football Money League – and yet they have just qualified for the Champions League for the third time in five years, while at the same time reaching their first-ever European final.

Perhaps even more impressively, they have done all of this while playing fantastic football.

AdvertisementGetty Images'I like your ideas'

Ahead of Atalanta's crunch clash with Crotone on October 2, 2016, the newly-appointed Gasperini was stopped by a man outside his home in Bergamo. After four defeats in his first five Serie A games in charge, the Piemontese naturally feared a dressing-down from an upset local.

However, the stranger told him, "I like your ideas. I'm convinced you will do well here." As Gasperini later admitted in an interview with the , "I thought he was making fun of me."

That Monday, Atalanta claimed a pivotal 3-1 victory at Crotone that Gasperini admits saved his job. It also earned him a free meal. "I met that man again and he invited me to dinner at his house," Gasperini revealed. "He cooked a great risotto. Today, Paolo is a great friend."

The continued support of the fans and the Percassi family obviously played a pivotal role in Gasperini's subsequent success – but so too did his continued faith in himself, and his footballing philosophy.

Getty ImagesHumble but ambitious

Gasperini freely admits that for a decade of his coaching career "retaining numerical superiority in defence was a dogma". However, ahead of a game against Juventus during his second stint at Genoa between 2013 and 2016, he had something of an epiphany.

Although determined to stick with his favoured 3-4-3 formation, he decided to go one-v-one at the back when in possession, thus gaining "a spare man that I could commit to tactical manoeuvres."

"It was worth the risk," he subsequently explained to the . "The Atalanta defenders you see attacking constantly today were born of that intuition."

Such an adventurous approach has been punished at times, particularly by teams boasting bigger budgets and, thus, better players. "Every time we conceded five goals, I thought about potentially playing in a different way," he recently admitted. "But me and my assistant Tullio Gritti – we're stubborn. This season we have managed to have a great run and also continue with our identity."

Indeed, as well as reaching the Europa League final, they also finished as runners-up to Juventus in the Coppa Italia, and have already secured a top-five finish in Serie A.

It's a remarkable achievement for a club with a wage bill of just over €29m (for context, Juve's is €74.1m). For Gasperini, this season just provides more evidence that it is possible for the smaller sides to not only beat the big boys, but to do so by taking the game to them.

"Just because you're humble, doesn't mean you can't be ambitious," he argued. "I firmly believe you are more likely to get good results if you play good football."

However, as Gasperini and others have been at pains to point out, Atalanta's remarkable rise to prominence just wouldn't have been possible without the Percassi family. "Behind teams that play well and express themselves like Atalanta, there is always great ownership," former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli told the . "The solidity and mentality of the owners have done a lot for the club. Gian Piero deserves a statue in Bergamo. Together with the Percassi family."

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Alessandro Sabattini / GettyEurope's best run club

Percassi, Atalanta's patron, is a wealthy man. He made a small fortune working with Benetton and investing in the make-up industry. However, the former defender, who was forced to quit the game at the age of 24, does not have pockets deep enough to buy even the best players in Italy. There is, then, no other option for Percassi to be prudent.

As he once told , "Keeping the books balanced is fundamental for us" – and there is no better-run club in Italy, and maybe even in Europe.

They have managed to turn a profit for years in a row, while at the same acquiring their stadium from the local municipality (making them one of only five Serie A teams to own their home ground) – and then modernising it to meet UEFA standards. When the final phase of the redevelopment is completed before the start of next season, the capacity will have jumped to 25,000.

"It's been the biggest investment in the history of Atalanta, but we are very proud, as Atalanta and the people of Bergamo deserve a stadium of this quality," Luca Percassi told . "Being able to see the walls of the city from the stands is truly meaningful, it is a home for the team and its fans."

So, how have Atalanta managed to achieve all of this? By identifying and developing players like no other team in Italy.

Starting the Championship campaign at breakneck pace, there was always going to be a time in the season when Ipswich Town would suffer a slump in form.

Playing out of your skin week in week out isn't sustainable, with Kieran McKenna's crop of talented players winless now in their last five second-tier matches after remarkably picking up seven victories from their first eight contests in the division.

With Southampton breathing down their necks in third spot now, only three points off McKenna's men currently, the well-backed Tractor Boys have already recruited Jeremy Sarmiento and Lewis Travis to Portman Road on loan in an effort to bolster the squad without breaking the bank.

How Ipswich's dream starting XI may look after signing 3 new players in Jan

Ipswich Town are showing no signs of slipping up in the Championship so far, but new recruits in January could strengthen them even more.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 13, 2023

More incomings could well be in through the door at Ipswich in a chaotic few weeks to come, with these potential faces being lined up for a move to the Championship automatic promotion candidates to seriously strengthen the side…

1 Kieffer Moore

It's no secret at this point that Kieffer Moore reportedly has a number of Championship admirers this January, with Ipswich Town wanting to win his services amidst frenzied interest and make a statement in the process.

Ipswich do need more numbers arguably up top owing to star-man George Hirst requiring surgery for a hamstring injury picked up recently, leaving reserve figures Freddie Ladapo and Kayden Jackson as the only other real fit strikers.

Moore would suit Ipswich's style of play also. The fast-paced forays forward kickstarted by the likes of Leif Davis could be finished off by the current AFC Bournemouth striker popping up with an effort or sticking a leg out to hit the back of the net.

Bagging 47 goals in the Championship over a varied career to date, it should be a no-brainer move by Ipswich to go all in for the 31-year-old.

Scoring in the FA Cup this weekend just gone for the Cherries too, the ex-Cardiff City hero is subject to interest from the Bluebirds amongst many other second-tier suitors. Could Ipswich beat them all and win the coveted signature of the in-demand Welshman?

2 Kwame Poku

This tricky Peterborough United winger could add even more firepower to Ipswich going forward with pivotal months to come in the promotion race, Kwame Poku dazzling defenders for fun in League One.

The Ghanaian attacker has nine goals and nine assists in all competitions for Darren Ferguson's Posh this season, ready for a step-up arguably to strut this stuff with McKenna's gung-ho side.

It would be hard to prize Poku away from Cambridgeshire – Peterborough gunning for promotion in the division below with the 22-year-old key to those aims – but the slick forward would slot straight into the Ipswich team effortlessly if and when selected.

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ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Going toe-to-toe with Ipswich stalwart Wes Burns on his potential arrival, Poku could comfortably get more game time ahead of the likes of Marcus Harness and Sone Aluko showing signs of their age at Portman Road to catch teams off-guard in big games.

3 Charlie Hughes

Ipswich could further delve into the League One market by signing up-and-coming Wigan Athletic centre-back Charlie Hughes this month, the Tractor Boys needing more numbers at the back with first-teamer Cameron Burgess heading out to the Asia Cup with Australia imminently.

Starring for Shaun Maloney's Latics at only 20 years of age, with highly regarded Sam Tickle also in goal behind him, Hughes has reportedly been noted as being on the Ipswich radar recently and that interest could heat up.

The Latics number six oozed confidence in a recent 2-0 win at the DW Stadium over Carlisle United for Wigan, accurate with six long balls with one key pass managed as a defender more than comfortable playing it out from the back.

Likewise, he's not afraid to be dogged – winning 100% of his aerial duels when Wigan lost narrowly to Paul Warne's Derby County last month on their own patch.

He has even played second-tier football for the Latics so the step up might well not be so daunting, performing admirably up against it during Wigan's relegation season last campaign.

It could well be a change of scenery that comes too soon for the 20-year-old, but under McKenna's guidance, Hughes could flourish even more and go on leaps and bounds away from home comforts in Lancashire.

On a turning pitch, the spinners restricted CSK to a below-par 131 before Suryakumar’s 71 not out gave Mumbai their sixth straight win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy07-May-20193:40

Vettori: The main reason to pick Jayant was to get Raina out

Mumbai Indians have beaten Chennai Super Kings for the third time in three meetings this season. They’ve beaten Super Kings on their home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, for the sixth straight time in all competitions.Let’s put that record in context. Between them, all the other IPL teams, put together, have come here 49 times and picked up ten wins.The latest chapter in Mumbai’s psychological stranglehold over Super Kings came via a comfortable six-wicket win on a pitch affording sharp turn throughout. Both teams went in with three spinners – a legspinner, and offspinner and a left-arm orthodox spinner each – and Mumbai’s trio outperformed Super Kings’ on the day. While the pitch wasn’t straightforward to bat on, 131 seemed a below-par total considering Super Kings only lost four wickets, and an unbeaten 71 from Suryakumar Yadav steered Mumbai home with nine balls remaining.Super Kings’ Powerplay woes continueBoth captains said at the toss that they wanted to bat first, and the coin fell in MS Dhoni’s favour. Super Kings came into the match with the worst Powerplay average (20.38) and scoring rate (6.30 per over) of any team this season, and they proceeded to slip up once again.Rahul Chahar is pumped after dismissing M Vijay•BCCIMumbai used all three of their spinners in the Powerplay, bowling them for four out of six overs, and they took out Super Kings’ top three. Faf du Plessis picked out backward point with a cut, while Suresh Raina and Shane Watson fell trying to hit against the turn when the length wasn’t in their favour; on this pitch, it was only really a percentage shot if the batsman got to the pitch of the ball or if it was a rank long-hop.Watson fell off the last ball of the Powerplay, and Super Kings were 32 for 3.Did Super Kings go too far into their shell?By the end of the 12th over, the right-handed fourth-wicket pair of M Vijay – brought in for the injured Kedar Jadhav – and Ambati Rayudu had put on 33 in 36 balls. They took no real risks even against the seamers or the offspinner Jayant Yadav, who between them bowled four of those six overs and conceded exactly a run a ball.Vijay was out first ball of the 13th over, stumped attempting to step out and hit Rahul Chahar inside-out. That brought Dhoni to the crease.Dhoni and Rayudu ramped up the intent a little, hitting Jayant for a six each and then taking eight off the 15th over, bowled by Hardik Pandya. But they weren’t prepared to go after the left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya or the legspinner Chahar, and they carefully played out the 16th and 17th overs, scoring a total of eight runs off them. By that point, Super Kings were 99 for 4.The last three overs went for 32 – decent, but not the explosion Super Kings may have hoped for – with Dhoni launching successive sixes off Lasith Malinga in the 19th but Jasprit Bumrah proving harder to hit either side of it.Suryakumar Yadav whips one off his pads•BCCITwo early wicketsThat left Mumbai 132 to get. Super Kings sent back both their openers by the fourth over, leaving them at 21 for 2. Deepak Chahar got Rohit Sharma lbw with an outswinger that beat his attempted leg-side flick, and Harbhajan Singh had Quinton de Kock reaching for the ball and caught at wide long-off.Suryakumar sparklesReaching for the ball had been a key element of how Mumbai’s spinners kept Super Kings quiet – their line had been outside off stump for most part, and their length short of the driving arc. At the end of the match, Dhoni reasoned that his spinners hadn’t managed to emulate them, and had bowled too full a length or too straight a line too often.This allowed the Mumbai batsmen to pick up key boundaries while hitting against the turn. Ishan Kishan launched Harbhajan Singh over the midwicket boundary to end the Powerplay, and Suryakumar Yadav whipped and drove Imran Tahir for successive boundaries through midwicket in the 11th over.Before all that, both batsmen had enjoyed moments of luck. Suryakumar was dropped by a diving Vijay at mid-on on 11, off Deepak Chahar, and Kishan edged Harbhajan wide of slip on 2.Suryakumar made Super Kings pay for the miss, using his feet well to get to the pitch of the ball as often as he could, or waiting on the back foot to use the pace of the bowler. Ravindra Jadeja and Tahir are among the quicker spinners in world cricket, and Suryakumar steered both of them deftly to the third man boundary in the 13th and 14th overs, the second of those shots bringing up his fifty, off 37 balls.Too little, too lateThat left Mumbai needing 32 off 40 balls. It proved a pretty straightforward task, even though Tahir took wickets off the last two balls of the 14th over. First he bowled Kishan, who ended up in an awkward position after stepping out too early, and then he had Krunal Pandya caught and bowled to bring up 300 T20 wickets.Super Kings nearly had another wicket next ball, when Suryakumar stretched out to defend Jadeja and edged him between keeper and first slip. But Shane Watson, diving to his left, couldn’t hold on despite getting a hand to the ball. That was pretty much it, and Suryakumar and Hardik steered Mumbai home with an unbroken partnership of 31 in 27 balls.

Manchester United have reportedly already decided to sack Erik ten Hag regardless of what happens in Saturday's FA Cup final.

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Manchester United decide to replace Ten HagManager will leave even if he wins FA CupKieran McKenna and Mauricio Pochettino are top targetsWHAT HAPPENED?

Ten Hag will take charge of Manchester United for a final time at Wembley on Saturday in the FA Cup final as the Dutchman will depart the club this summer, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, via . The Red Devils are already on the lookout for a new manager and will make a change even if Ten Hag masterminds an FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

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Ten Hag's future has become uncertain after a difficult campaign for the Red Devils. United finished the season down in eighth place in the Premier League table, with a negative goal difference, and will only play European football next season if they beat City in the final. Manchester United have already been linked with a move for Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna as well as England manager Gareth Southgate if Ten Hag does depart Old Trafford after the cup final. Former Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel and freshly unemployed Maurico Pochettino are also thought to be in the frame.

WHAT DI MARZIO SAID

Di Marzio said: "McKenna is the man of the moment in the football world, in the world of coaches, because he is doing great at Ipswich Town. He is the number one choice at Brighton & Hove Albion, but he has also already spoken to Manchester United. At the end of the season, United will say goodbye to Ten Hag.

“Manchester United will also be looking for a new coach. And their targets are McKenna and Mauricio Pochettino. De Zerbi is also on the list, but he has not been in contact with United in recent days. If he [McKenna] goes to Chelsea, United will go for Pochettino. But what is certain: they are saying goodbye to Ten Hag."

On Friday, Di Marzio's claims were echoed by The Guardian, with the club declining to comment on the matter.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT

Manchester United are not the only club looking for a new coach this summer. Bayern Munich, Juventus, Brighton and Chelsea are also on the hunt for a first-team coach, while Barcelona are being tipped to part ways with Xavi and could also join the list.

Manchester United host Spurs on Sunday, where they will hope to avoid their tenth Premier League defeat of the season.

The Red Devils are currently eighth in the table but have scored a dismal 22 goals in 20 matches to underline their wretched form in front of goal. Rasmus Hojlund, for instance, has only bagged once in the league during a mixed debut term on English shores.

With that in mind, Erik ten Hag must look to bolster his squad this January, focusing on his attack in particular.

Man Utd transfers latest – Donyell Malen

According to Football Transfers, Man United are interested in striking a deal with Donyell Malen this January.

The move would be a loan with an option to buy, yet Borussia Dortmund are keen to secure a permanent sale.

However, with the two clubs having a strong relationship, a deal could be struck in January for the attacker, who is estimated to be worth £52m.

It's thought that the United hierarchy have been in intense discussions about bringing the former Arsenal academy produce to Old Trafford.

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ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024 Why Donyell Malen could replace Jadon Sancho

With Jadon Sancho close to completing a loan move back to his former Bundesliga club, Ten Hag will be looking for a suitable replacement to improve his attack.

The arrival of the English winger will inevitably take up a spot in the Dortmund attack while leaving a void in United’s, which could be filled by Malen.

The Dutch star, labelled “wonderful” by scout Antonio Mango, has played 23 matches for his side this season across all competitions, becoming BVB’s joint-top scorer in the Bundesliga with five goals from 11 starts.

But what type of forward is he based on the statistics below from the last year across the top European leagues?

Goals

0.55

Top 2%

Assists

0.20

Top 42%

Shots total

3.96

Top 1%

Progressive carries

4.46

Top 21%

Successful take-ons

2.70

Top 15%

Touches (Att pen)

5.76

Top 13%

Carries into penalty area

2.11

Top 17%

As you can see, the 24-year-old is the definition of a goal-scoring winger who likes to shoot at any given opportunity, and it is obvious that he played as a striker during his 55-goal spell at PSV.

However, Malen has mainly played as a right winger this season, which is where he has registered all his goal contributions, meaning he's the perfect profile of player to replace Sancho.

That said, he is a versatile attacker who has the ability to play all across the attack, which is why his Ajax youth coach Brian Tevreden previously claimed he is “like Alexis Sanchez," who was known for thriving as a false nine and as a winger at Arsenal.

Furthermore, Malen is a fast, dynamic attacker who has excellent movement. The ex-Arsenal youth star is particularly effective on the break, where he can carry the ball forward and skip past opponents with his explosiveness. That certainly sounds like the aforementioned Sanchez.

The Netherlands international isn’t the most creative winger, as shown by his lowly assist stat, but he is direct, and he thrives in the penalty area, as displayed by his high touches in the box and carries into the penalty area.

The United squad has struggled in attack all season, which is highlighted by the fact that Scott McTominay is their top scorer in the Premier League with five goals. Malen would help fix that as he would provide goals from the right-hand side, unlike Antony, who has failed to register a goal contribution all season, therefore making the team less reliant on goals from the left and, in turn, less predictable.

Overall, signing Malen on loan is a deal that United must look to complete. With injuries impacting the squad and the underperformance of individuals, his addition could be vital in their push for European football next season. The 24-year-old is everything that the Red Devils are missing.

Finch addressed the media after their third and final warm-up game against New Zealand in Brisbane, and also praised Steven Smith’s successful return into the Australian set-up

Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane10-May-20191:18

Don’t have a fixed opening combination yet – Finch

Australia still have a “lot of questions to answer” before their opening World Cup match, according to captain Aaron Finch, but being able to call on the experience of six previous winners in their 15-man squad could be a key factor as they attempt to defend their title and claim the tournament for the sixth time.The squad completed their Brisbane camp with the third match against a New Zealand XI on Friday, Steven Smith hitting an unbeaten 91 and Glenn Maxwell a flamboyant 70. They then went straight to the airport to fly to Turkey for a visit to Gallipoli, a trip that Steve Waugh’s 2001 Ashes side had undertaken too. From there, they reach London in the middle of next week ahead of their final warm-up period before opening their campaign on June 1 against Afghanistan in Bristol.ALSO READ: Langer ‘slept better’ after Smith’s show of formFinch, one of the six players who were part of the 2015 triumph on home soil, along with Smith, Maxwell, David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, said a World Cup is a “different” experience from the bilateral series that form most of a players’ career.”I think it’s a big advantage, just to know what it takes to win a World Cup and what it takes to manage your way through a campaign which can be difficult,” Finch said. “You have to be at your best at the business end but you can’t afford to let anything slip at the start. Six guys who have been there and done that will give a lot of experience to the others of what to expect, what to feel walking out there because it is different.”When you talk so much about it, when it finally happens it’s a relief to be looking forward. The fact everyone is together and getting on great, the boys are pumped to ramp up the preparations. It really is the time of your life a World Cup so that will be awesome.”Australia are not favourites for the tournament but are in much better shape than they were just a few months ago, having strung together eight wins in a row away against India and Pakistan. However, the final build-up, dominated by the return of Smith and Warner, has filled in all the blanks with the batting order, though bowling combinations are yet to be firmed.They used three different opening partnerships in the three matches in Brisbane as well as other tweaks to the order. It remains likely that Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh are playing off for one position.”I think it’s just about giving everyone an opportunity at the top of the order to get some game time as much as anything,” Finch said. “I think it’s a good opportunity to mix and match and with the three games in the UK we might keep everyone guessing a bit, but the honest answer is, no, we don’t have a definitive answer on what that will look like at the moment. There are a lot of questions still to be answer but we are in a great place to do that.”ALSO READ: How busy are Australia’s cricketers?Finch was the only one to score a half-century opening the innings in the three matches with Warner not quite able to continue his serene progress from the IPL. Smith produced the two most significant innings of the week with his brace of unbeaten knocks.”His [Smith] timing and class was back again,” Finch said. “It was like he hadn’t left. His drives down the ground on a really difficult wicket to time off the front foot was so impressive, just the amount of time he spent in the middle and how he went through the gears was very impressive.”Smith was also active in offering advice to the captains, Finch in the first two matches and Alex Carey in the last one, with the team happy to lean on the experience of their former captain and Warner, the former vice-captain.”They are two of the best players in the world which is valuable to have at your disposal,” Finch said. “The boys have been brilliant. All the work off the field with the team has been great. It’s an interesting time, no doubt, when they are coming back in but still a great opportunity for everyone to learn off them as well. They have so much experience and what they bring to the group is really valuable.”

The 37-year-old striker has proved at the club level he could be an impact player at Copa America, despite his age

Luis Suarez can't stop scoring. Inter Miami's biggest off-season signing, and the completion of the former-Barcelona quartet in south Florida wasn't a guaranteed success before this season. His knees don't work, and there were questions about his stamina and ability to play for all 90 minutes.

And while those questions haven't entirely been answered, Suarez is finding the sort of form – albeit in a lesser league – that saw him tear up Europe for years. This is not a Ballon d'Or-contending striker anymore. Instead, he is MLS's best No.9, deadly in front of goal, and crucial to Miami's MLS Cup ambitions.

More broadly, the 37-year-old is making his case for Uruguay's Copa America squad this summer. La Celeste have options in forward areas, but Suarez is showing enough to suggest that he might have one more major tournament in him as Marcelo Bielsa's side dream of tournament glory in the United States.

Getty ImagesCould he make the squad?

After the 2022 World Cup, Suarez seemed to be out of the picture for the national team. La Celeste turned in a solid group stage in Qatar, but failed to advance to the knockouts after a late strike from South Korea against Portugal saw them go out on goals scored. Suarez, for his part, turned in a limited contribution, assisting once but failing to find the net across three games.

The arrival of the outspoken Bielsa at the helm saw the team undergo something of an evolution. He handed appearances to 14 uncapped players for friendlies at the start of 2023, and left both Suarez and Edinson Cavani at home.

Since then, La Celeste have been in fine form. Uruguay beat Brazil and Chile, while also snagging a draw against Colombia as they started their 2026 World Cup qualifying effort in impressive fashion. But after winning the Brazilian Serie A Player of the Year award for his 17-goal, 11-assist effort for Gremio in 2023, Bielsa recalled him to the squad. And although Suarez didn't feature in either fixture for his national team, his inclusion showed he might just have a role to play.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesA brief history of Suarez

You'd struggle to find a player in recent years who has been more impactful for La Celeste. Suarez, of course, burst onto the scene in the 2010 World Cup under controversial circumstances. The forgotten backdrop to Suarez's infamous handball on the line against Ghana in South Africa was that the then-Ajax striker was one of the players of the tournament. He scored twice in the round of 16, and made his case for a big transfer after finishing the campaign with three goals and two assists.

He was even better at the 2011 Copa America, scoring four and setting up two as Uruguay won their 15th title – earning Player of the Tournament honours in the process. Further controversy marred his legacy on the international stage, including when he infamously bit Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup. Still, Suarez has found the net 68 times in 138 appearances for his national team – making him his nation's all-time top goalscorer.

Getty ImagesHis performances this season

This season, though, Suarez has made his case to return to the fold. Suarez scored six and assisted three in his first eight MLS games in Miami, keeping the Herons afloat as Lionel Messi struggled with knocks. He has since slowed down, but has reached double-digit goal contributions for the Eastern Conference leaders. Messi may be the one pulling the strings for the Herons, but Suarez's penchant for finding the net makes them a potentially elite team.

It marks a significant change from the aging forward who was forced into terminating his Gremio contract early just nine months ago. Back then, Suarez admitted that he was constantly playing in pain, and speculated that knee problems could end his career.

"The days before each game I take three pills and hours before playing I get an injection. If not, I can’t play. Hence the limp. I have to think that in maybe five years I won’t be able to play five-a-side football with my friends," he said in December 2023.

Knee pain notwithstanding, Suarez has made his mark for Miami. He hit the ground running, rekindled his fine connection with Messi, and has the Herons playing like MLS champions.

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Getty ImagesDarwin Nunez, and who else?

But there is competition in the Uruguay side. La Celeste's Copa America hopes rest largely on the shoulders of Darwin Nunez. The mercurial striker was equal parts deadly and chaotic for Liverpool last season, but still managed a tidy return of 18 goals in all competitions – all while struggling to carve out minutes in a competitive front line.

Still, he seems to have the faith of Bielsa, who entrusted him to lead the line when La Celeste took on Brazil in a major World Cup qualifying fixture in October. Nunez followed that with the first of his side's two goals against Argentina, and a brace in a drubbing of Bolivia five days later. He missed the last window with an injury – and Uruguay admittedly struggled without him.

And there might be competition in the returning Edison Cavani. He, too, has rediscovered some form of old, impressing for a surging Boca Juniors side. But there are similar concerns with his fitness and level of competition. Outside of that, La Celeste are limited up front, with Liga MX's Federico Vinas the only other option in forward areas.

War of words erupts – wicketkeeper-batsman says he is fit, board officials claim otherwise

Umar Farooq10-Jun-2019Afghanistan have been plunged into controversy with wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad claiming that he was incorrectly declared unfit and omitted from the World Cup squad. However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board insists that Shahzad was indeed unfit, which is why he has been replaced by Ikram Alikhil.Shahzad, 32, retired hurt during Afghanistan’s warm-up game against Pakistan on May 24, but subsequently played the team’s first two World Cup matches.He underwent a knee scan during the warm-up match against Pakistan. In the two matches that he did play, he was out for a three-ball duck against Australia, and made 7 off 12 against Sri Lanka. Afghanistan lost both matches.But while Shahzad has reportedly insisted that he was fit, the ACB chief executive, Asadullah Khan, was adamant that there had been no foulplay in dropping the wicketkeeper-batsman.

I was removed from the 2015 World Cup [he wasn’t selected for fitness reasons] and now this one as well. I am going to consult with friends and family. My heart isn’t in cricket anymore

“It’s absolutely wrong to say that he was unfairly dropped,” Asadullah told ESPNcricinfo. “We have given a medical report to the ICC to prove that he is unfit, and after thorough deliberation they allowed us to replace him. He is our main batsman, who can make a big difference with the bat, and it was a really difficult decision to drop one of our key players.”Shahzad’s medical report, a copy of which has been accessed by ESPNcricinfo, does confirm that he has a mild ACL strain on his left knee.Asadullah explained that since attaining full membership, Afghanistan had increased their focus on fitness. “Now that we are full members, our priority will be on fitness, in international and domestic cricket,” he said. “We can’t carry unfit players. We understand Shahzad was not fully fit when he still went on to play two games and this is not acceptable anymore.”Shahzad, after returning to Afghanistan, launched a broadside against his ouster while speaking with local media, accusing the ACB higher management for the move. “I went to a doctor in London and he drained my knee of some fluids, gave me a pill and said that I could play after resting for two-three days,” Shahzad told media in Kabul.”I had a practice session, bowled, batted, and had a keeping session… had lunch with my team-mates, and then sat down in the team bus (to return to the hotel) only to see the ICC press release on my phone saying I am out of the World Cup,” he explained. “That was the moment when I found out that I was unfit.”I asked the manager, who asked me to put the phone in my pocket and talk to the doctor. The doctor looked at me helplessly and said he couldn’t do anything. I don’t know what is the problem. If they have a problem, they should let me know. If they don’t want me to play, I will quit cricket.”I don’t see myself playing anymore. It’s a dream to play the World Cup. I was removed from the 2015 World Cup [he wasn’t selected for fitness reasons] and now this one as well. I am going to consult with friends and family. My heart isn’t in cricket anymore.”Shahzad is no stranger to controversy, despite having been a pivotal figure in Afghanistan’s extraordinary journey through the ranks to Test status. He missed out on playing during a large chunk of 2017 following an ICC suspension over a doping violation. Last year, he was found to be in breach of the ACB’s code of conduct when he played in a local Peshawar tournament, and was asked to reside permanently in Afghanistan or risk having his contract terminated.Shahzad is Afghanistan’s highest ODI run-getter, with 2727 runs at an average of 33.66 in 84 games.