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In the last five years, batting averages there have diminished as the game has progressed, with spinners having taken more than 100 wickets each on days three and four

Mohammad Isam16-Jun-2025Bangladesh batters are eager to cash in on the Galle pitch before it starts responding to spinners, according to captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. The visitors begin their Sri Lanka tour with the Galle Test starting on Tuesday, with recent performances putting both batting units under pressure.Shanto had scored his maiden Test century in the first game during Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2021 – he scored 163 in Pallekele, which remains his highest Test score. This time around, Bangladesh will be playing only their third Test in Galle, the last of which was back in 2017.In the last five years, batting averages in Galle have diminished as the game has progressed – from 45.64 on the first day to 35.61, 28.53, 28.31 and 20.65 in the subsequent days. Spinners have taken more than 100 wickets each on the third and fourth days of Tests in Galle during this period.Related

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“I have some good memories in Kandy, but I want to take the opportunity in Galle,” Shanto said. “Playing spin may be challenging, but there’s also a lot of runs in the first two or three days in Galle. We want to take that opportunity. There will be challenges for the batters as spinners take a lot of wickets in this venue. We have to bat well. We are enjoying each other’s company despite all the challenges.”Shanto said he is pleased with the combination of players he has in the current Test squad, although Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who reportedly has a fever, remains a doubtful starter against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh will take a last-minute call on the playing XI after confirming whether Mehidy is available.”Mehidy is still under observation, but his health is improving. A lot depends on his availability,” Shanto said. “If he is in the team, we can go into the Test with a good combination. I don’t want to reveal where I am going to bat in the Test match. I don’t want my opponent to know. We still have a few things up in the air. Miraz is still not fully well.”I am happy with the Test squad. I think it is also quite positive that we all could agree on this combination. It is a balanced side with enough options for batting and bowling. We can pick the XI depending on the opposition and conditions. We also have to execute our plans by playing good cricket.”Earlier this year, Bangladesh levelled the Test series against Zimbabwe after defeat in the first Test•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladesh’s batting struggles are often attributed to the absence of their batting heavyweights, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. While Tamim has retired from all formats, Shakib could be available just for ODIs. In Tamim’s absence, Bangladesh are yet to settle on an opening pair, while Shakib’s role as a batter hasn’t been totally replaced either. Shanto, though, is hopeful that the current Test players can do their jobs in Sri Lanka.”They are not in the team for the last two or three years; Shakib and Tamim served Bangladesh cricket for a long time,” Shanto said. “But we don’t want to think about the past. We have some experienced cricketers in the squad. They will do well here. I hope those in the team will take the team forward.”Bangladesh will be looking to bounce back after having won just two out of ten completed matches across formats so far this year. In February, they exited the Champions Trophy in the group stage, before going down to Zimbabwe in the Sylhet Test in April. Bangladesh then lost back-to-back T20I series against UAE and Pakistan in May-June. Shanto, however, said that the team will take inspiration from their drawn Test series against Zimbabwe, where they bounced back in Chattogram after the defeat in Sylhet.”We don’t want to think too much about the Zimbabwe series. We came back well in that series,” Shanto said. “It will motivate the team. We are playing in conditions that many of us have played in the past. We have to play good cricket, especially the batters.”We have good memories in Sri Lanka, which will be helpful but every series is a new beginning. The top order has to provide the team with a good start. We have a good squad here, so it will be a great opportunity to do something special here.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin will have been delighted that his side picked up their first win of the Scottish Premiership season last weekend.

The Gers had failed to win any of their opening five matches in the division, their worst start to a league campaign in 47 years, but picked up a last-gasp winner on Sunday thanks to Max Aarons.

His excellent finish, as shown in the clip above, won the match for the Ibrox giants after they found themselves drawing 1-1 heading into stoppage time.

It was Aarons’ first minutes on the pitch for Rangers since he was shown a straight red card against Club Brugge in the 6-0 loss in Belgium back in August, and what a return to action it was for the full-back.

Whilst the Bournemouth loanee was finally brought back into the fold after being an unused substitute for three successive matches, there was another player who was suffering a similar fate on the bench.

Mohamed Diomande was an unused substitute against Livingston after he was shown a straight red card in the 1-0 defeat to Genk in the Europa League at Ibrox last week.

Why Mohamed Diomande was rightfully dropped

Even taking the red card out of the equation, the Ivorian midfielder was rightfully dropped from the starting line-up for that Premiership clash because his performances in the league have not been up to scratch this season.

The left-footed star may have been punished against Livingston because of his red card in Europe, but his league form overall this season warranted him being left out of the side regardless of what happened against Genk.

Diomande had caught the eye in the Premiership last season with a return of four goals and seven assists, per Sofascore, which led to a bid from Besiktas in the summer transfer window.

The central midfielder put in impressive performances on a consistent basis, delivering quality in the final third, which is why he had interest from elsewhere.

Unfortunately, Diomande’s form since Martin came through the door at Ibrox has nosedived to the point where it was justified to leave him out on Sunday.

Mohamed Diomande (Premiership)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

36

5

Sofascore rating

7.19

6.38

Goals

4

0

Assists

7

0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.6

Ground duel success rate

57%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

17%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Ivorian lightweight has been dominated in duels on the deck and in the air in the Premiership this season, without making up for it with any goals or assists for the team.

Given his dismal start to the season in the Premiership and in the Europa League, Diomande should now be worried that the club are reportedly looking at a free agent midfielder.

Rangers considering free agent swoop

According to journalist Mark Hendry, via his Substack, Glasgow Rangers have been offered the chance to sign free agent central midfielder Pierre Ekwah after his exit from Saint-Etienne.

The former West Ham United and Sunderland midfield whiz ripped up his contract with the Ligue 2 club on deadline day at the start of September, which means that he is now free to discuss a move elsewhere and can be registered before the January window.

Transfer Focus

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

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Hendry’s report adds that Ekwah has been offered to both Celtic and Rangers in a bid to find a new club after his ext from the French team, but it remains to be seen whether either of the Scottish giants are willing to take a punt on him.

The Gers are considering whether or not to make a move for the midfield star, but they were linked with a move for the Frenchman towards the end of the summer transfer window.

This suggests that the recruitment team at Ibrox and Martin are well aware of the 23-year-old and his talents, which is why they should push to get a deal done for him as a free agent in the coming days or weeks.

Why Rangers should sign Pierre Ekwah

The Ibrox giants should swoop to sign Ekwah ahead of Celtic to bolster their options in the middle of the park because he could come in as an immediate and instant upgrade on Diomande.

As aforementioned, the Rangers central midfielder’s levels have dropped off this season, which has left a gap to fill in midfield for Martin because the Ivorian was such an important player for Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson in the 2024/25 campaign.

Ekwah’s performances in Ligue 1, one of Europe’s major leagues, last season suggest that he has the quality to come in and hit the ground running as a key player for the Gers if he is fit and ready to go.

The left-footed central midfielder left Saint-Etienne after they were relegated to Ligue 2, but his displays in their relegation campaign showed that he was good enough to play at the top level.

24/25 Ligue 1

Pierre Ekwah

Percentile rank vs CMs

Tackles

57

Top 17%

Duels won

145

Top 11%

Duel success rate

57%

Top 14%

Aerial duel success rate

71%

Top 7%

Interceptions

47

Top 3%

Blocks

12

Top 6%

Ball recoveries

157

Top 8%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star was one of the most effective defensive midfielders in Ligue 1, as he ranked very highly among his positional peers in a host of statistics.

Ekwah, who former manager Tony Mowbray claimed could do “amazing” things with his feet, is a powerful and combative central midfielder who has shown that he can compete physically in a major European league, whilst Diomande has struggled badly with the physicality in the Premiership this season.

Along with his defensive attributes, the former Saint-Etienne star also completed 88% of his passes in Ligue 1 last season, per Sofascore, whilst Diomande has completed 84% of his attempted passes in the Premiership this term.

Therefore, Rangers and Martin could land an instant upgrade on the struggling Ivorian midfielder by swooping to sign a free agent star who excelled in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 campaign.

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is “feeling better” with every passing game but continues to work on his rehab, having just returned to full fitness from calf and side strains prior to the start of IPL 2025.Hazlewood, like the rest of the RCB squad, will have had less than 48 hours to recover between the end of their home game against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the start of the reverse fixture in New Chandigarh.”I’ve just felt better as the tournament has gone on,” Hazlewood said after RCB’s loss to PBKS in Bengaluru. “I’ve done quite a bit of work in the nets. In the games, I just feel better. My run up to the crease, rhythm – it’s all been good. Hopefully that continues. I’m still doing a fair bit of work on the rehab side of things, but everything feels good.”Related

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Hazlewood is joint-second in the Purple Cap list for most wickets in IPL 2025, his 12 wickets coming at an economy 8.14. On Friday night, Hazlewood’s season best of 3 for 14 kept RCB alive in their defence of 95 in a truncated 14-overs-a-side match, before they lost by five wickets.In his second stint with RCB after missing IPL 2024, Hazlewood has formed an effective new-ball partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The pair has helped RCB become the best bowling unit in the powerplay so far this season.”I think we’ve got highly skilled quicks in particular,” Hazlewood said. “To bowl with someone like Bhuvi, who has been around for so long, he’s so skilful at the start and end, it’s great to learn from him. Just the variety we’ve got, we [him, Bhuvneshwar and Yash Dayal] are all a bit different.”

‘We’re getting there, but probably not quick enough’

When asked about RCB’s losing all three matches at home so far, Hazlewood said the team had been a “bit slow on the learnings from the first two games”, where the batters went hard on a two-paced pitch and made 163 and 169 respectively against Gujarat Titans (GT) and Delhi Capitals (DC). On Friday night, RCB managed just 95 in their 14 overs, but were briefly in the game before Nehal Wadhera muscled PBKS home with 11 balls to spare.”It’s just we’ve probably been a bit slow on the learnings from the first two games and didn’t put that into practice as well as we could have,” Hazlewood said. “Probably in particular in those first six to eight overs with the score the way it was.Josh Hazlewood took 3 for 14 in a riveting three-over spell against PBKS•BCCI

“So, again, we’ll dive into this game probably more so when we get back to Bangalore and really go through in detail and with a fine-toothed comb and come up with a few ideas of where we can learn and improve. But I think the bowling definitely improved from the last two outings. So sort of we’re slowly getting there, but probably not quick enough.”Hazlewood wasn’t able to explain why the M Chinnaswamy Stadium hasn’t been a high-scoring venue this season, but said that bowling between the six- and eight-metre length was the way to go.”The bounce has always been there, but it’s in past years that it’s probably been more consistent,” Hazlewood said. “I find if you really hit the wicket hard on that six to eight metres, it’s quite tough to bat and we’ve found that. So maybe it might be a case of pulling back a touch and having a look, giving yourself a little bit of time.”I know in the first two games we lost here it was, you know, a batter on the other team going big and getting a partnership and scoring big late in the game. So if we can have our top five-six doing the batting for the 20 overs, I think that’ll go a long way to helping us win.”

After failing to secure Champions League football at the end of last season, Aston Villa would have been looking for a strong summer in which they could springboard and start the new campaign strongly. Yet, things have not really worked out like that for Unai Emery’s side.

As well as signing young centre-back Yasin Ozcan from Turkish side Kasimpasa, the only other first-team addition has been Evann Guessand. The Ivorian striker made the move to the West Midlands from French side OGC Nice for a fee in the region of £25.9m, and is the marquee signing of the summer so far.

Now, with the Premier League season a matter of days away, Villa are targeting a new attacker to add to their ranks.

Villa’s potential next signing

After bringing Guessand to the club this summer, it appears Emery wants to strengthen further in attack. They were previously linked with Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, although new reports have emerged about another target in forward areas.

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 Simon Jones at The Mail, the Villans ‘have revived talks’ with French giants Paris Saint-Germain over a move for former loanee Marco Asensio.

The Spaniard spent the second half of last season on loan at Villa Park, and given the fact he has ‘snubbed moves’ to other sides, a return is on the cards.

The West Midlands club ‘have asked about loan and permanent deals’ for the former Real Madrid star, who is said to be ‘keen to return’ to the club this summer. Back in May, it was suggested that a fee of around £13m was enough for Villa to seal the permanent signing of Asensio.

Why Asensio would be a good signing

Despite a lack of football in the French capital for Asensio last season, he flourished on loan at Villa Park. His excellent form led former Premier League winger Andros Townsend to describe him as a “special talent”.

Indeed, the 29-year-old forward, who was born in Mallorca, played 21 times for the club last season. In that time, he bagged eight goals, operating most often as a number ten, and also assisted once, too.

Some of his best performances in a Villa shirt surely came in the Champions League. The Spain international scored three goals in four games, but only chalked up 126 minutes, leaving him with a goal every 42 minutes on average.

If Villa are successful in bringing Asensio back to the club for next season, he could form a sensational partnership with new signing Guessand. The Ivorian was excellent for Nice last term, with nine goals and 12 assists in 33 Ligue 1 games.

It is that ability to both score and assist that might make the duo so deadly. Asensio became a goalscorer for Villa last season, and with Guessand so prolific when setting up goals, those two certainly pair well together.

Yet, the former Real Madrid star also grabbed 32 assists for Los Blancos and 11 for PSG. His best season, the 2022/23 campaign for Madrid, saw him score nine La Liga goals and set up a further six.

Indeed, his stats from that season highlight the creative force Asensio can be at his very best. For example, he averaged 2.5 chances created and 8.2 forward passes per 90 minutes for Los Blancos in that campaign.

Asensio key stats for Real Madrid 2022/23 La Liga
Stat	Per 90 mins	Season total
Goals	0.6	9
Assists	0.4	6
Chances created	2.5	39
Forward passes	130	8.2
Take-ons completed	23	1.5
Ball recoveries	45	2.9
Stats from Squawka

For a fee of around £13m, this could be a bargain for Villa. Asensio and Guessand pair well together, with the Spaniard playing in behind the new Villans star. Both players can chip in with goals and assists, which could make for some exciting link-up play with each other.

Villa fans can surely get excited about this partnership, especially since they know what Asensio can bring to the table and just how good of a footballer he is.

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Joe Nuttall

Aug 7, 2025

West Indies star wants to make most of chance as WPL injury replacement after striking fine form in India

Valkerie Baynes19-Feb-20254:35

Henry’s WPL goals: ‘This year’s a test run, want to secure permanent place’

Alyssa Healy leaves some big shoes to fill, but Chinelle Henry is ready to step in for UP Warriorz and make an unexpected WPL debut she hopes will be the start of something huge.Henry, the powerful West Indies middle-order batter and handy fast bowler, received a late call-up to the tournament as a replacement for Australia captain Healy, who is recovering from a stress injury in her foot, and while she is yet to play a game, she wants to make her inclusion count.”This is a really huge, huge opportunity for me,” Henry told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. “My only other franchise league would’ve been the CPL, so to be a part of one of the biggest franchises around in female cricket in the WPL is a really big thing for my career going forward. Next year maybe I could secure a place to be actually a part of a team permanently coming in the next edition of the WPL, so this year is definitely kind of like a test run, a trial run, for me.Related

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“Coming in has a replacement, that’s a huge set of responsibilities on me, huge shoes to fill. The atmosphere playing along with some of the best in the world from their respective regions is going to be huge. This will be a lot of learning this year and I’m hoping that I can actually go there and deliver on the field when called upon, because that’s the reason why I’m here. Obviously they saw something. Healy, unfortunately the team lost to injury, and to be that replacement is a huge honour.”It only takes a glance back to December to see why UP Warriorz reached for Henry’s number when Healy succumbed to the injury she has been battling on and off since last year’s T20 World Cup.A 16-ball 43 plus one wicket in a losing cause during West Indies’ third T20I against India at Navi Mumbai and 61 off 72 balls in the third ODI, which India won in Vadodara, indicated some serious good form on Henry’s maiden tour of India.Now she is hoping to follow in the footsteps of team-mates Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin in making her first foray to the WPL and, along with Stafanie Taylor, branching out into more global franchise competitions.

“We just don’t want to keep dwelling on the past that, ‘hey, we won the 2016 T20 World Cup’. Teams are evolving, teams are getting better, players are getting better. We know that we have to get better”Chinelle Henry

“A lot of people have been talking about it, that I have been in form lately, and that’s something that I actually want to continue to do because obviously the pressure of the WPL is different from everything else,” Henry said. “Being here in the WPL, I’m not going to lie, I was a little bit nervous at first, but after coming back here, adjusting to the atmosphere, it’s just about getting to know the girls a little bit better and just picking up where I left off the last time I was in India. It’s just about continuing that confidence, continuing to play with that freedom and to know that I have the backing of the coaches and team.”At the age of 29 and with 111 international caps across both white-ball formats, any lessons Henry can take back to the younger members of the West Indies squad will be a bonus as they look to build on the success of reaching last year’s T20 World Cup semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions New Zealand.West Indies will need all of those components to come together again in April when they face five other teams vying for just two qualifying places at the 50-over World Cup, to be played in India later this year.”When you talk about West Indies, we always want to be at the big stage, big competitions, we always want to be competing,” Henry said. “The same amount of confidence, the same amount of enthusiasm that we play the T20s with, that’s something we are trying to go out there and play the longer version with. The longer version of the game is something that we are going to have to take more responsibility for as a person, as a team, and know that to avoid these situations [going through the qualifier] this is what we have to do.”We won the T20 World Cup once and definitely the ODI World Cup is something that we talked about. We just don’t want to keep dwelling on the past that, ‘hey, we won the 2016 T20 World Cup’. Teams are evolving, teams are getting better, players are getting better. We know that we have to get better and these are things that we have to do in order to be better at the longer version of the game.”