كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير، التطورات الجديدة في ملف مفاوضات النادي الأهلي مع البرتغالي برونو لاج لتولي مهمة القيادة الفنية لفريق الكرة بالقلعة الحمراء خلال الفترة المقبلة.
وترددت أنباء أن الأهلي يرغب وبقوة في التعاقد مع برونو لاج ليصبح الأخير هو المدير الفني الجديد للمارد الأحمر خلفًا لخوسيه ريبيرو المقال من منصبه.
الأهلي أقال ريبيرو من منصبه كمدير فني للفريق خلال شهر أغسطس الماضي، في ظل سوء نتائج الفريق وتراجع الأداء، مختتمًا مسيرته بالهزيمة أمام بيراميدز في الدوري المصري.
وقال أحمد شوبير في تصريحات إذاعية عبر أثير “أون سبورت إف إم”: “برونو لاج المدرب البرتغالي نعم حصل تفاوض بينه وبين الأهلي، وحصل كلام، وحصل تقارب، ولكن لا يزال هناك بعض نقاط الخلاف، لكن التفاوض مستمر”.
وأردف: “لم يصلوا إلى اتفاق نهائي، وأنا أقول لك معلومة دقيقة، لكن التفاوض قوي، وكان هذا التفاوض حتى أمس أو أول أمس على الأكثر، وكان تفاوضًا جديًا وقويًا، ولديّ التفاصيل الكاملة، لكن احترامًا للمصدر، سأقتصر على ما قلته”.
طالع | أحمد شوبير: الخطيب لم يحسم موقفه من الترشح لرئاسة الأهلي.. ويكشف أبرز المرشحين لخلافته
وأكمل: “الرجل هناك ينتظر رد النادي الأهلي، وبرونو لاج عرض كل طلباته، والأمور كانت قريبة جدًا بين الطرفين، فهم ينتظرون الرد النهائي من الأهلي بشأن الطلبات التي طرحها الرجل والتي تحدث عنها”.
ذكرت تقارير إعلامية اليوم الأحد، أن نادي آرسنال قد تلقى أنباء سعيدة في تدريبات الفريق الأخيرة قبل مواجهة مانشستر سيتي المرتقبة مساء اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
آرسنال سوف يستضيف نظيره مانشستر سيتي في إطار قمة منافسات الجولة الخامسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب الإمارات.
ويسعى آرسنال إلى تحقيق الفوز على مانشستر سيتي واستغلال الحالة الجيدة التي يمر بها الفريق خلال الفترة الأخيرة، حيث انتصر الجانرز على أتلتيك بلباو الأسبوع الماضي 2-0 في دوري أبطال أوروبا.
طالع.. رودري: نريد الانتقام من آرسنال.. وليفربول لا يدرك قوة مانشستر سيتي
وذكر سامي مقبل، الصحفي الموثوق في “بي بي سي سبورت”، أن نادي آرسنال قد استعاد بوكايو ساكا، وذلك بعدما شارك الأخير في تدريبات الفريق الأخيرة بشكل كامل دون أي مشاكل.
وأضاف أن ساكا في الوقت الحالي تزايدت فرص مشاركته في قمة آرسنال ومانشستر سيتي، ويبقى القرار في الأخير للمدرب ميكيل أرتيتا.
وأوضح أن هناك شكوك كبيرة حول فكرة مشاركة مارتن أوديجارد أمام مانشستر سيتي، في ظل عدم جاهزية الدولي النرويجي الكامل.
ساكا كان قد أصيب خلال مواجهة آرسنال أمام ليدز يونايتد خلال شهر أغسطس الماضي، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
Kusal Mendis is in outstanding form, Pathum Nissanka has had fantastic outings, Avishka Fernando has been spectacular, and Kusal Perera has made a strong comeback. On top of which, Kamindu Mendis seems in good touch too.This is all on based on Lanka Premier League (LPL) performances, that new Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka regards as the gold standard in T20 cricket on the island.The LPL concluded only on Sunday, with Asalanka’s Jaffna Kings side taking home the trophy. Top order batters flourished in that competition. Asalanka has suggested that Kamindu – who also bowled with both arms during the LPL – has sewn up the No. 4 spot, having hit 287 runs at a strike rate of 157 through the tournament.Related
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But then there are still four batters vying for the top three spots. As Asalanka said: “There are four openers in the squad, and the way I’m thinking three of them will make up the top three. One of them will have to miss out.”Those four:
Kusal Mendis, who hit 329 runs at a strike rate of 150, and can keep wicket.
Pathum Nissanka, who hit 333 at strike rate of 153.
Avishka Fernando, who smoked 374 at a strike rate of 163.
Kusal Perera, who had the best strike rate of the four – 169. He made 296 runs, but in fewer innings than the others.These are stats worth thinking on before the two back-to-back matches on Saturday and Sunday, because Sri Lanka’s new captain is keen on using the LPL as a marker of T20 ability.”If you look at the LPL, it’s the No. 1 tournament we have to make decisions like this,” Asalanka said. “More than domestic T20s, the LPL is at a much higher level. As a captain, I think if you perform at the LPL you should get a good chance at playing in the national team.”Asalanka has been a captain since age-group level, whether for his school Richmond College, or Sri Lanka Under 19, and most recently the winning LPL franchise. He suggested his style of leadership is based around man-management.”From under 15 level I’ve captained teams, and there’ s been a lot of change since then. That’s what I tell my team members too – we can’t be at the same place we’ve always been at. From day to day you have to improve and that’s how you become a good player or a good captain. I’ve played under many captains, and I’ve tried to absorb as many of their good traits into my captaincy and into my life as possible.”What I really want is to get 100% out of my players, and to create a positive environment for them. We have a lot of talented cricketers, but what’s important is to get the most out of them and have them win matches. I’ve told them to play freely and when we’ve given them plans, to go out there and execute them without fear. That’s what you can expect from me as a captain.”
Liverpool won hearts and minds with their Premier League title victory and could now be on the verge of ratifying one of the summer’s most exciting deals.
Liverpool make an instant impact in the summer window
The dust has started to settle on Liverpool claiming a second top-flight title of the modern era. Still, there have already been significant developments at Anfield in the early part of the summer window.
Jeremie Frimpong arrived to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold on Merseyside, and that only appears to be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential movement in both directions.
Florian Wirtz celebrates with Jeremie Frimpong
Finance expert Kieran Maguire has confirmed that Liverpool have £250 million to spend if they so wish without any threat of FFP involvement, which has paved the way for some exciting deals to occur over the next few months.
“Liverpool are in an excellent financial position. They didn’t spend very much in the 24-25 season, and they have the benefits of Champions League football next season. If they spent £250m, that would not be a problem.”
Liverpool transfer targets in pictures
Arne Slot made minimal changes last summer, but he has now identified Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon as a top target at Anfield, even if he will cost around £80 million to lure from the North East.
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ByStephan Georgiou Mar 27, 2025
Finding themselves in the perfect position to kick on, Liverpool will be aware that their rivals are also tooling up with some intriguing signings, setting the scene for a brilliant Premier League title fight next term.
Now, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the Reds are on the verge of completing a landmark deal ahead of the new campaign coming into focus.
Romano: Liverpool agree deal to sign Florian Wirtz
Taking to social media platform X, Romano revealed that Liverpool have now agreed a deal in principle to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and he will now head to England for his medical.
With personal terms and other formalities already agreed, it is understood that the Germany international will join for a fee of around £127 million, inclusive of add-ons.
Compared to Lionel Messi by Gerhard Struber, Wirtz registered 16 goals and 15 assists across 46 appearances in all competitions last term, and Reds journalist Paul Gorst said he will be a “statement signing”.
Florian Wirtz
Notably, he earns around £73,300 at Bayer Leverkusen, a figure that will be expected to increase exponentially once his switch to Anfield is officially confirmed.
Weeks of overwhelming speculation surrounding Wirtz have become the early story of the window. Nevertheless, he now appears set to link up with Slot in a deal that will reverberate around the world.
One of the key summer targets for Newcastle United over the next couple of weeks seems to be Liam Delap. The Ipswich Town striker is a player of keen interest to four Premier League clubs, according to TeamTalk, and are ‘holding showdown talks’ in the coming days.
Whilst the Magpies are in contact with Delap via manager Eddie Howe, who is looking to convince him to make the move, they will face competition from top-flight rivals Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton. There are four different projects on the table for Delap, but he would be the same price for each club, given that he has a £30m release clause.
If the North East giants do miss out on the striker, they seem to have a backup option on the cards.
Newcastle chasing Delap alternative
So, it does seem like the Magpies are trying their very best to persuade Delap to make the move to St James’ Park over any of the other clubs interested this summer. However, if that does not work out, their next option could lie in the Premier League, too.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to a report from one Spanish news outlet, Newcastle are firmly in the race for Brighton and Hove Albion star Joao Pedro, with the Tynesiders said to be ‘willing to pay’ a fee of around €70m (£59m) to get their man.
The article suggests that Howe’s side view him as ‘as an opportunity to continue growing’ in attacking areas, although they do face a ‘huge transfer battle’ with newly-crowned champions, Liverpool, for his signature.
Brighton striker Joao Pedro
It is thought that the player wants to leave the Amex, with both the Reds and Newcastle ready to make a ‘good financial offer’, alongside an ‘attractive sporting project’.
Why Joao Pedro would be a good signing
It has been a strong season for Brighton superstar Pedro. Unfortunately, he could not quite help claw his side back into Europe, meaning they will once again go without continental football after finishing eighth in the top flight.
However, the 23-year-old put in some big contributions across the campaign, playing 27 times in the top flight. In that time, he managed to find the back of the net on ten occasions and also registered six assists.
One of the standout things about Pedro’s 2024/25 campaign was his ability to frequently score against the best sides in the Premier League. The Brazilian managed two goals against Arsenal, a winning goal against Man United and a goal and assist against their cross-city rivals, Manchester City. He also grabbed two assists against Aston Villa.
Of course, with Newcastle looking to compete for higher honours next term, it is surely appealing that he can score against some of the biggest clubs in the top flight. Those are sides the Magpies would have to beat to maybe even challenge for the Premier League.
Should the Magpies sign Pedro ahead of Delap, it could well be a better addition to their squad. Of course, it was a fantastic campaign for the England under-21 star despite Ipswich’s relegation; he is now wanted by clubs across the Premier League.
However, he did not notch up as many goal involvements as Pedro managed in the Blue and White stripes of Brighton. Delap scored 12 times this term, but managed just two assists.
With Pedro grabbing 16 goals and assists, he perhaps offers more with his all-around game than the Ipswich striker.
This is further backed up by the stats on FBref. Not only does Pedro average slightly more goals per game than Delap with 0.46 to 0.42, but he also ranks higher in other key metrics.
That includes shot-creating actions, where the Brazilian averages 3.32 per game compared to the Ipswich star’s 2.15.
Pedro and Delap key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Pedro
Delap
Goals
0.46
0.42
Key passes
1.39
0.73
Shot-creating actions
3.32
2.15
Goal-creating actions
0.42
0.24
Progressive carries
3.06
2.12
Stats from FBref
If Newcastle win the race to sign Pedro, he seems like a far better addition to the club than Delap, for his all-around package. Whilst he can regularly find the back of the net, he also creates chances and brings others into play, which could be deadly given the strength of their attack.
Joao Pedro celebrates for Brighton & Hove Albion.
As Dougie Critchley said, he is a “special” footballer, and could be perhaps exactly what Newcastle need to take their attack to the next level.
Howe thinks Newcastle could sign two Marseille stars to play up front with Isak
Nottingham Forest have now made contact over a deal for a midfielder who is expected to cost around £40m this summer, according to a report.
Forest set to strengthen in multiple areas
Despite losing their last two Premier League games, Forest are well-positioned to qualify for next season’s Champions League, given that they remain three points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea with just six games left to play.
The race is likely to go right down to the wire, but it is looking very likely the Tricky Trees will be playing European football of some description next season, which means Nuno may need to strengthen his squad in the summer transfer window.
Targets have been identified in multiple areas, having recently joined the race for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, but a new striker appears to be of particular interest, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and AFC Bournemouth’s Evanilson among the options.
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There have also been suggestions Forest could look to bring in a new central midfielder, and they are believed to be very keen on AC Milan’s Yunus Musah, but the American is not their only target.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest have now made contact over Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, submitting an enquiry to discuss a potential summer deal, but there could be fierce competition for his signature.
RC Strasbourg'sAndreySantosin action
Eight Premier League clubs have expressed an interest in Santos, who is valued at around £40m by the Blues, while there is also set to be competition from several unnamed European sides, which could make it very difficult to get a deal over the line.
Not only that, but the 20-year-old isn’t particularly keen on a move to the City Ground, given that his game time was very limited during his loan spell with the Tricky Trees last season.
Santos impressing on loan at Strasbourg
The Brazilian may have found game time hard to come by at Forest last season, but he has been seriously impressive on loan at Strasbourg, picking up nine goals and four assists in 27 Ligue 1 appearances this term.
Not only has the maestro impressed going forward, but he ranks highly on some key defensive metrics over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, indicating he is a well-rounded midfielder.
Statistic
Average per 90
Non-penalty goals
0.32 (98th percentile)
Tackles
3.33 (96th percentile)
Clearances
2.06 (81st percentile)
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has also been left seriously impressed by the Rio de Janeiro-born starlet in the past, lauding him as a “one-man war machine in midfield” after starring for Brazil U20 against Peru.
Santos has proven he deserves another chance in the Premier League, but it seems pretty unlikely the youngster would be willing to move back to the City Ground, given that his previous spell didn’t go to plan.
And how often have three batters made hundreds on the first day of a Test?
Steven Lynch27-May-2025MS Dhoni recently made his 200th dismissal as a wicketkeeper in the IPL. Is he top of this list? asked Abhishek Kapadia from India Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first wicketkeeper to reach 200 dismissals in the Indian Premier League during Chennai Super Kings’ recent match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, when he caught Angkrish Raghuvanshi off the Afghanistan left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad.A couple of weeks later, Rishabh Pant made it to 100, during Lucknow Super Giants’ match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Lucknow. Two other keepers, who played what appear to be their final IPL games last year, also made more than 100 dismissals: Dinesh Karthik 174 and Wriddhiman Saha 113. For the full list, which will be updated, click here.Yuzvendra Chahal just took his second IPL hat-trick. Has anyone else got more than one? asked Suresh Moti from India The Punjab Kings legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal took a hat-trick towards the end of CSK’s innings in Chennai at the end of April. It was his second in the IPL, after a hat-trick for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in April 2022.Chahal’s recent hat-trick was the 23rd in the IPL, and he’s the third bowler to have taken more than one. The first man to double up is perhaps a bit of a surprise: Yuvraj Singh picked up two hat-tricks with his slow left-armers during the 2009 IPL in South Africa, for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Durban, and against Deccan Chargers in Johannesburg. These were the only six wickets Yuvraj picked up in 14 matches in that tournament.Another legspinner, Amit Mishra, actually took three IPL hat-tricks, all for different teams: for Delhi Daredevils against Deccan Chargers in Delhi in 2008, for Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab in Dharamsala in 2011, and for Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Pune Warriors in Pune in 2013.We were watching Ben Duckett bat against Zimbabwe, and were wondering what the highest Test score by an England batter on his home ground was? asked Giles King from England Ben Duckett did look in imperious form on the first day of the Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last week, and it was something of a surprise when he holed out for 140.This particular England record is held by Geoff Boycott, with 246 not out against India on Yorkshire’s home ground of Headingley in 1967 . That was a famous – or possibly infamous – innings, as he batted for 573 minutes in all, and was dropped from the next Test for slow scoring. The only other England batter to score a Test double-century on his county’s home ground was Denis Compton, with 208 against South Africa at Lord’s in 1947.The highest Test score by anyone on their home ground is 374, by Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene against South Africa at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo in 2006 .Geoff Boycott’s infamous crawl to 246 at Headingley in 1967 is the also the highest score by a batter at his home ground•Daily MirrorBefore his hundred against Zimbabwe, Zak Crawley had scored seven half-centuries since his previous three-figure score in Tests. What’s the record for this? asked Gerry Watson from England Zak Crawley’s 124 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last week broke a century drought that stretched back to his superb 189 against Australia at Old Trafford in July 2023.Since then, you’re right that Crawley had reached 50 seven times in Tests without going on to a hundred (all seven scores were between 60 and 79). The record for England is 14 half-centuries between hundreds, by another Kent player in Alan Knott, between July 1971 and January 1975. Alastair Cook had two spells of 11 half-centuries without a hundred, while Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root have both had one.They’re all quite a way short of the overall record: the Australian captain Allan Border had no fewer than 21 half-centuries between Test tons in October 1988 and February 1992, while Temba Bavuma of South Africa collected 19 half-centuries between his first two Test hundreds, in January 2016 and March 2023. The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella has so far made 22 half-centuries in Tests – but no hundreds at all.Three England players scored centuries on the first day at Trent Bridge. How often has this happened in a Test? asked Frank Donaldson from England England’s 498 for 3 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge was the fourth-highest total by one side on the first day of a Test, and was also only the fourth time three different men had scored centuries on the first day: the same England trio (Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope) also did it against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022.The other instances were both by Australia, against England at The Oval in 1884 (Percy McDonnell, Billy Murdoch and Tup Scott) and South Africa in Adelaide in 2012 (David Warner, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey).Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions
He lifted Australia out of a deep mire on Thursday against Pakistan, but fell agonisingly short of his century
Alex Malcolm28-Dec-2023Five years ago, Mitchell Marsh was booed by the MCG crowd when he came on to bowl for Australia in a Boxing Day Test match. Five years on, there were similar-sounding groans. But these were groans of despair for Australia’s cult hero, who fell four agonising runs short of a richly deserved century, having pulled his side out of a deep mire.If you had asked those booing him five years ago who they would want walking out to bat at 16 for 4 with a Boxing Day Test hanging in the balance, or at 85 for 4 on day one of an away Ashes Test, or at No. 3 in a T20 World Cup final or in an ODI World Cup final, the answer would have been, “anyone but Mitch Marsh”.But time and again, especially in 2023, he has delivered under pressure, in the big moments. There was a time when he had said, “Most of Australia hates me.” Australia loves him now. “He should be getting the receptions that he’s starting to get now,” Pat Cummins said yesterday. “He’s a champion.”Related
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Marsh’s 96 was not quite as good as his Headingley hundred. But it was a counterattack of equal importance from a perilous position, and it saved Australia’s blushes.Australia were 16 for 4 in their second innings, with a lead of just 70, when Marsh walked in to face Mir Hamza on a hat-trick. Australia had not lost four wickets for so few runs on home soil since they were bowled out for 85 by South Africa in 2016. Hamza and Shaheen Shah Afridi had the Kookaburra ball swinging around corners under overcast skies. One more wicket and Pakistan were looking at Australia’s last five batters, who had contributed scores of 4, 9, 13, 8 and 5 in the first innings.Marsh calmly let the hat-trick ball pass through to the keeper. A younger version, the version that was booed, might have committed to play no matter what. He was far from perfect early on and he freely admitted it to Fox Cricket when he spoke to their flying mic during the final drinks break: “I was a cat on a hot tin roof and I felt like I had a defence like Swiss cheese in my first 20 balls.”He took 14 balls to get off the mark but did so with an emphatic drive down the ground. He was beaten time and again by Hasan Ali. But he got three short and wide gifts from Aamer Jamal in the same over to break the shackles. Then a moment of huge fortune. Just as Joe Root had dropped him at first slip at Headingley when he was on 12, Abdullah Shafique grassed the simplest of chances with Marsh on 20.
“Shaun got run-out for 99, and Dad [Geoff] got 86 here. I guess a little bit history for us. Hopefully I get one more crack at it”Mitchell Marsh on missing out on a Boxing Day Test century at MCG
It wasn’t his only piece of fortune. Just 14 balls later, having added only six runs, he shouldered arms to a ball from Hasan that nipped back sharply. Hasan and Pakistan pleaded with umpire Michael Gough to give it out. The finger stayed down. The review showed the ball clipping off stump, but not enough to overturn the decision.But they say you make your own luck. And Marsh has made his own luck this year by being brave.Marsh had talked after his first-innings 90 in Perth about how he couldn’t defend and survive like Steven Smith does. He spoke about how he had to be “true to himself”, to show positive intent and put pressure back on the bowlers, and not go into his shell like he might have done in the past.Marsh revealed after play that his new mantra was put to the test in this innings.Mitchell Marsh leaves to a standing ovation at the MCG•Getty Images and Cricket Australia”There’s a lot of voices inside your head at 4 for 16,” Marsh said. “It was I guess a big moment for me personally to, in that moment, just have a little think about how I wanted to go about it and be true to myself. I’ve said that on record. So, I guess I had to stay true to myself. It felt really hard work. The ball was swinging around.”It was a matter of trying to get through but also making sure I put the bad balls away. And I was able to do that. So I still felt even on 96 that I could nick one, and I did. There’s still plenty in the wicket.”Under enormous pressure, surviving several close calls, he stayed true to his mantra and played with immense bravery to carry his team on his broad shoulders. He benefitted from Smith’s obduracy and calmness at the other end, but if Marsh didn’t score, the lead was not going anywhere given Smith took 100 balls to find the boundary and scored his 50 off 176 balls.It was Marsh who carried the scoring responsibility in what might end up being a match-winning 154-run stand with Smith – it was unthinkable to write those words about a Test partnership between Marsh and Smith just over six months ago.Pakistan could not contain him because he did not allow them to settle. Marsh 2.0, in his last five Tests, has been prepared to walk down the pitch at fast bowlers to disrupt their lengths. While it doesn’t always yield the drive balls that he’s looking for, it creates a lot of shorter lengths. He latched onto those time and again during this innings, taking the pitch and swing out of the equation to thump cut shots galore to the long square boundaries.Five Boxing Days ago, not many people would have bet on Mitchell Marsh being Australia’s hero against Pakistan•Getty ImagesIt was a tactic he only developed in his last Sheffield Shield match earlier this year when he made a century against Tasmania at the WACA ground.”I guess part of it is trying to impose myself,” Marsh said. “I want to hit down the ground. I also back myself to pick up the length and get the short ones as well. So it’s really just become part of my game, I feel really comfortable doing that.”He deserved a century and cut a heartbreaking figure as he trudged off to a wonderful ovation. His father Geoff and brother Shaun, who were in the crowd, were gutted for him and knew exactly how he felt.”Shaun got run out for 99 and Dad got 86 here,” Marsh said. “I guess a little bit history for us. Hopefully I get one more crack at it.”After not wanting him five years ago, Australian fans will want him to play many more Boxing Day Tests in the future.
Dealing with the language barrier one of the main tasks as Silverwood, Sri Lanka focus on redemption
Madushka Balasuriya12-Apr-2022It’s not often that a team appoints a head coach to as little fanfare among supporters as Sri Lanka have just done, but such is the precarious state of the nation at the moment that Chris Silverwood’s appointment has flown almost entirely under the radar.But, in many ways, that’s probably to Silverwood’s advantage; both he and the team are coming off some poor results. Sri Lanka suffered heavy back-to-back defeats in the Test and T20I series against Australia and India, while Silverwood was sacked as the England men’s team’s head coach after England’s 4-0 Ashes series defeat.Related
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Chris Silverwood named Sri Lanka's new head coach
Therefore, focusing on the future without much media glare is probably a good thing.Silverwood’s first chance at putting his mark on the side will be a two-Test tour of Bangladesh in May, but with a month until then and, more importantly, roughly six months till Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup campaign begins in Australia, here are five things he will need to address.Solving the Rajapaksa problem
In most circumstances, a player on the fringes of the national side hitting form would be fairly ideal for a new coach. But in the case of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who has just seen his stock rise considerably following a couple of blistering knocks in the IPL, it’s seemingly another obstacle for the new man in charge to navigate.Rajapaksa is a talented batter, one who could be an invaluable asset to Sri Lanka’s limited-overs outfit, but his fitness levels have always been found wanting – leading to more than a few tussles with the team management.Rajapaksa has admitted that he wouldn’t be near the fitness levels of some of his more athletic peers, but his argument was that sudden weight loss causes him to lose balance while batting, and that might hold some merit. As things stand, he falls short purely on skinfold testing.While this may seem easy enough to overlook, the flipside is that the minimum fitness mandate implemented rigorously by SLC has seen Sri Lanka’s fielding improve markedly – even if results as a whole have been less encouraging. So the question for Silverwood would be: is the inclusion of Rajapaksa worth it if it gives his team-mates an excuse to slack off? Or, perhaps, the solution may lay in devising more equitable fitness metrics. Whatever he decides, it will likely set the tone for the rest of his tenure.Communication will be key
Even during Sri Lanka’s best periods in the last two decades, there has been the sense that overseas coaches, for all their goodwill and willingness to embrace Sri Lanka culture, were never truly in control of the team’s tactical and strategic planning.Now, this is not to suggest the players didn’t listen, rather that tactical presentations communicated in English might not have always been fully grasped by all involved. Anecdotal evidence is indeed rife of players discussing and changing various team strategies in their native tongue, only for the coach to be made abreast of all the new changes later.Of course, it’s not unusual for senior members of a squad to play the role of translator to a foreign coach, but it’s obvious that this might impact the coach’s plans.This will be Silverwood’s first job coaching a team where the first language isn’t English, and while he has obvious pedigree, ensuring clear two-way communication will be key.Bailing out the batters
Sri Lanka’s T20 captain Dasun Shanaka has recently found his range, while the likes of Chamika Karunaratne and Wanindu Hasaranga also offer great lower-order hitting prowess. But it’s about finding consistency in the top order that will determine how far this team can go.In players like Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Danushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka have the talent. However, ensuring regular output from them has been elusive.Rotating strike has been a problem in recent times – Sri Lanka’s dot-ball percentage is unenviable – while there is also a tendency to get starts and then falter. While England’s red-ball batters came undone under Silverwood’s watch in the Ashes, their white-ball counterparts have been among the best in the world. If he’s able to coax consistency out of Sri Lanka’s batters, he’ll already be ahead of his predecessors.The likes of Dushmantha Chameera would benefit a lot from Silverwood’s appointment•ICC/Getty ImagesBoon for the bowlers?
Silverwood, a fast bowler himself during his playing days, was originally drafted into the England set-up as a bowling coach and has had first-hand experience working with two of the finest fast bowlers in their history: James Anderson and Stuart Broad. It wouldn’t be surprising if the likes of Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara are most excited by Silverwood’s appointment.The two quicks are now Sri Lanka’s frontline seamers in all formats, following the retirement of Suranga Lakmal. While Chameera was the leading ODI wicket-taker in 2021, Kumara has been less consistent, struggling to hit his lengths when called upon to bowl at the death in the shortest format. However, he did have impressive tours of Australia and India, picking up nine wickets across five T20Is.Kumara’s improved performance was brought on by a change in tactics, where he was used primarily through the middle overs and asked to bowl more back of a length – something that allowed him to extract extra bounce to go with his rapid pace. If Silverwood can add more strings to Kumara’s bow, Sri Lanka could possibly pose a real threat in world cricket through him and Chameera.And with Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana also in Sri Lanka’s ranks, Silverwood definitely has a lot to work with.Going beyond Karunaratne
While Silverwood’s immediate priority would be preparing the side for the T20 World Cup later this year, he would also want to focus on the Test team. The recent away series against India, in which Sri Lanka lost 2-0, showed how far behind the team was in the long format, especially against the top teams.Last year, they won back-to-back home series against Bangladesh and West Indies, while the team also drew a series in the Caribbean. Indeed, the only blemishes in 2021 were defeats away to South Africa and at home to England.That, incidentally, coincided with an injury to Dimuth Karunaratne, whose four centuries in 2021, including a maiden double – 244 against Bangladesh – saw him rise to fifth in the Test batting rankings by March. There is no other Sri Lankan batter in the top 20.If Sri Lanka are to put up an improved showing in the current World Test Championship cycle, Silverwood would want to address the team’s over-reliance on Karunaratne.
Well, the New York Yankees aren't done yet, and they've actually shot up in the latest odds to win the World Series after a thrilling Game 3 win in the ALDS on Tuesday night.
The Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays have played an offense-heavy series so far in the ALDS, with New York putting up nine runs in Game 3, rallying from a 6-1 deficit to extend the series in Game 4 on Wednesday night.
As a result, the Yankees have seen their World Series odds skyrocket, going from +1600 to +950 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
New York isn't the only team that made a major move in the odds on Tuesday night, as the Seattle Mariners (+390) stole Game 3 of the ALDS on the road against the Detroit Tigers. After those teams were +600 (Seattle) and +850 (Detroit) entering Game 3, Seattle has jumped up to second in the odds to win it all while Detroit has fallen back to +1700.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who have a chance to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, remain the clear favorite at +160 to win the World Series this season, but the American League matchups have a ton of intrigue ahead of Wednesday's Game 4 matchups.
Here's a look at the latest odds and some storylines to watch on Wednesday.
World Series Odds for Every Team in MLB Playoffs
Los Angeles Dodgers: +160Seattle Mariners: +390Milwaukee Brewers: +450Toronto Blue Jays: +600New York Yankees: +950Detroit Tigers: +1700Philadelphia Phillies: +2500Chicago Cubs: +3500
Both the Dodgers and Brewers are up 2-0 and looking to close out their respective matchups on Wednesday night, so it makes sense that they're both shorter than 5/1 to win the World Series this season.
However, the American League seems to be totally up for grabs after New York and Seattle won on Tuesday. The Yankees have done this before — they came back from an 0-2 deficit in the ALDS in 2017 against the Cleveland Guardians — and things are setting up well for the Yanks in Game 4.
Not only did New York finally get something going on offense against the Toronto pitching staff, but it is favored (-186 on the moneyline) at DraftKings to win Game 4. The Yankeesh have wild card hero Cam Schlittler on the mound for his second postseason start while the Jays are expected to go with a bullpen game.
That's a major concern for Toronto since the team had to deploy several bullpen arms in a marathon game on Wednesday. Could the Yankees force a winner-take-all Game 5? Based on the latest odds, it seems like it.
Toronto fell from +475 to +600 to win the World Series after Game 3, a sign that oddsmakers expect this series to head back to Toronto for a decisive Game 5 on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Seattle is a sight underdogs in Game 4 against the Tigers with Casey Mize on the hill for Detroit against Seattle's Bryce Miller. While oddsmakers clearly expect Seattle to win this series (Detroit is now +1700 to win the World Series), a win by the Tigers on Wednesday could change things drastically if Detroit tries to come back with Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal in Game 5 on Friday.
There's no doubt that these World Series odds will shift on Wednesday night, so bettors may want to get a bet in on their team — especially if they're at a favorable price — before first pitch.