He might have to stay on in the team’s bubble in Zimbabwe to be eligible for the full series

Mohammad Isam13-Jul-2021

Mushfiqur Rahim could be one of two players asked to stay back with the Bangladesh contingent after their ODI series against Zimbabwe, to avoid a longer quarantine period ahead of their T20I series against Australia next month. Rahim had been granted a leave by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) after he had requested to skip the T20Is against Zimbabwe.The BCB and Cricket Australia (CA) had agreed on the condition that both sets of players must be in quarantine ten days before entering the tour’s bio-bubble in Dhaka. Being in the Harare bio-bubble counts as being in this quarantine, which means Rahim’s personal break – which was supposed to be from July 22 – wouldn’t allow him to enter the Bangladesh-Australia bio-bubble until the day of the first T20I between the two sides, proposed to be in the first week of August.Related

Mushfiqur Rahim out of Australia T20Is after missing quarantine deadline

Mushfiqur Rahim to miss remainder of Zimbabwe tour

BCB to enforce strict measures for Australia's visit

Rahim to opt out of playing T20Is on Zim tour

Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that they have to keep the Australia series quarantine in mind, but said a final decision will be taken after discussions with the team management in Harare. Any player on the current Zimbabwe tour who wants to be available for the full Australia series has to remain in Zimbabwe till July 27.”Everyone has to be in quarantine for ten plays to play in the Australia series,” Abedin told ESPNcricinfo. “We have planned to keep two players from the ODI side that’s playing against Zimbabwe, with the T20I side, just in case. We are not taking any chances because there is always the chance of someone getting sick.”After discussion with the team management, we will finalise on July 15 about whether Mushfiq will remain in Zimbabwe. Mushfiq wanted a break from the bio-bubble which is completely understandable. It is very difficult to live inside a bio-bubble. Even we have got tired staying at home, and imagine how the players feel being in hotels for such long periods.”Bangladesh play the ODI series against Zimbabwe from July 16 to 20. The T20Is are from July 23 to 27, and the return flight will bring them home on July 29. Australia, currently in the West Indies, are likely to arrive in Dhaka on July 27 after their last match on that tour on July 25.Apart from the ten-day quarantine, the BCB have already agreed to other requests from, CA including the visitors avoiding the airport hallrooms, stricter control in the team hotel, and playing all five T20Is in Dhaka.

Despite a frustrating transfer window that has left several gaps in the Newcastle United first team, Eddie Howe will be delighted with his side's start to the Premier League season.

A draw against Bournemouth on the south coast is sandwiched between St. James' Park victories over Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, taking seven points from a possible nine into the September international break.

Newcastle failed in their bid to sign top target Marc Guehi, with Crystal Palace standing firm in their resolve to keep the centre-back. Lloyd Kelly was brought in to shore up the backline but more is needed, it is felt. Despite this, captain Kieran Trippier could soon leave, despite the transfer window having slammed shut.

Why Trippier is set to leave Newcastle

According to Sky Sports, Newcastle could part ways with Trippier this month since the 33-year-old has lost his place in the starting line-up to rising star Tino Livramento – who shone in the 2-1 win over Spurs.

While the majority of European transfer streams have closed off, the Turkish Super Lig is still open for business, and Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Eyupspor have all made enquiries.

Trippier is in the penultimate year of his £120k-per-week contract, placing him among the Toon's highest earners. This is not justifiable given his stark decline last year, making three fatal errors across his 28 Premier League appearances.

Though he's still one of the most creative right-backs in the business, the former England international is not the complete package anymore, and given that he wishes to play regular football from the outset, it's probable that he will move on soon.

Should that occur, Newcastle may well regret not signing a new right-back. Emil Krafth has been called to the centre with Fabian Schar suspended and Sven Botman recovering from an ACL injury that has ruled him out for the rest of 2024.

Michael Kayode was linked with a move to Tyneside, and perhaps Howe wishes his side took the leap and snapped the talent up.

Newcastle must rue not signing Trippier replacement

Trippier is 34 in two weeks, and though he's led a storied career and been a stalwart for Newcastle, he was noticeably on the decline last season and has now been replaced by Livramento.

He would be an excellent back-up, but Newcastle should have moved to sign Kayode from Fiorentina. As per Corriere dello Sport back in July – via Sport Witness – Newcastle were the latest of a long line of English clubs to take an interest in the 20-year-old.

Having enjoyed an exemplary breakout campaign on the senior stage, he had been tagged at €30m (£25m) by La Viola, but no outfit met the demands and he has stayed put to continue his development.

Matches (starts)

26 (22)

Goals & assists

2

Clean sheets

6

Pass completion

87%

Key passes*

0.6

Ball recoveries*

4.0

Tackles*

2.0

Clearances*

1.5

Dribbles*

0.8 (51%)

Ground duels won*

3.6 (63%)

Hailed as a "duel monster" by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Kayode is actually considered to be a similar-styled player as Livramento, as per FBref, with a steely defensive game and a technical sharpness that would play to the strengths of a team like Newcastle, seeking fluency and forward movements.

With physical strength and high-level athleticism blending with a defensive aptitude that suggests he would survive the test of the Premier League, and perhaps even thrive, Kayode could be a real superstar.

The Italian looks like he's only got better over the summer too, having made his seasonal introduction off the bench against Parma and dazzled. He was only on the field for 17 minutes, but the barrelling star won all five of his duels and completed each of his three dribbles.

There's so much to like, and given his quality, it seems likely that one top suitor or another will snap him up before too long. Might Newcastle rue their decision not to act down the line?

Newcastle must regret selling £13m star who's now worth more than Tonali

The Magpies sold a player in 2018 who is now at another Premier League club

1 ByRoss Kilvington Sep 3, 2024

Arsenal are said to already be considering a January offer for one Bayern Munich star, as sporting director Edu Gaspar continues work on the club's transfer plans so soon after an eventful summer window.

Arsenal spent under £100 million on five major summer signings

Despite the high-profile nature of their arrivals and the real potential of these players, Arsenal spent just £92 million on five key additions in David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Neto and Raheem Sterling.

"Extraordinary" Arsenal player already considering exit in January

Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay in the summer.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 7, 2024

Edu and the Gunners recruitment team also brought in around £70 million through player sales, allowing the club to register a healthy net spend of just £22 million. A cleverly navigated window saw two of Arsenal's fresh recruits arrive right at the very last minute on deadline day, with Neto and Sterling making eleventh-hour loan moves to the Emirates Stadium.

Neto comes in as back-up shot-stopper to replace the departed Aaron Ramsdale, who joined Southampton, while Sterling's arrival brings both Premier League pedigree and a proven goal-scoring record in the English top flight.

The latter could make his debut for Arsenal in an all-important north London derby clash away to Tottenham, and it is believed Sterling could play as a false-nine against Spurs with Kai Havertz dropping back into midfield.

In the meantime, manager Mikel Arteta has claimed that Arsenal are getting Sterling up to speed during the international break, both tactically and from a fitness perspective.

“We have to see him, speak to him (about) what he’s been doing and how he’s feeling about it," said Arteta on Sterling's imminent Arsenal debut.

“And try to find quick wins to get him up to speed as quickly as possible and for him to understand what we are looking for from him in the dynamics of the team. We will use that time to do that and get him involved as soon as possible.”

The signing of Calafiori has also strengthened Arteta's ranks with a versatile defender who can play both at left-back and centrally, but that hasn't stopped Edu from looking into a move for Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies.

Arsenal considering January offer for Alphonso Davies

The Canadian is out of contract next summer, allowing interested clubs to agree a pre-contract in January ahead of a 2025 free summer transfer.

According to HITC and journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are contemplating a January pre-contract offer for Davies alongside Premier League title rivals Man City, given he could be one of the blockbuster coups of 2025.

The left-back, who bagged five assists in 29 Bundesliga appearances, is arguably one of the world's most threatening full-backs on his day and is still just 24 years old – despite many years at the top level already.

While Arsenal and City believe Real Madrid are firm favourites to sign the £182,000-per-week star, their interest is maintained, and they may well make a winter swoop.

Welsh Fire 165 for 4 (Bairstow 72, Duckett 53) beat Southern Brave 147 for 7 (Vince 40, Neesham 3-5) by 18 runsLed by a second consecutive half-century from captain Jonny Bairstow, Welsh Fire maintained their position as the surprise pace-setters in the Men’s Hundred, seeing off Southern Brave in a high-scoring encounter in Cardiff. Bairstow smashed 72 from 39 during a century stand with Ben Duckett and although Brave started aggressively in their chase, a clatter of wickets during the second half left them short.Fire’s batting continued their impressive start to the tournament by making the third-highest 100-ball total – just eight runs shy of their own record, set during a pulsating opening win at Headingley on Saturday. Tom Banton set the tone by striking two of his first three balls for six on the way to 34 from 23, Bairstow picked up the pace after a slow start to become the leading run-scorer in the men’s competition, and Duckett was particularly severe on Brave’s mystery bowler, the left-arm wristspinner Jake Lintott making his first appearance of the campaign.As well as bringing in Lintott and Craig Overton, after a supine defeat in their opening fixture away to Trent Rockets, Brave were buoyed by the arrival of Quinton de Kock from international duty with South Africa. But although de Kock made a frenzied start to the chase and James Vince kept them on track with 40 from 27, Fire held their nerve and closed out the game via impressive spells from Jake Ball and Jimmy Neesham, who finished with exemplary figures of 3 for 5 from his 15.Opening gambit
As the women’s match earlier in the day reiterated, Sophia Gardens is not a particularly hospitable ground for slow bowlers – particularly fingerspinners. When England play in Cardiff, Adil Rashid is usually the only specialist picked; the two T20I internationals this summer saw them rely on a battery of pace bowling supported by Rashid’s legspin, which tends to be held back (and has the added advantage of the batter not being certain which way the ball will turn).But when Brave walked out to bowl after winning the toss, Vince threw the ball to Danny Briggs. A left-armer, Briggs might have had the benefit of turning the ball away from Fire’s openers, Bairstow and Banton; but both are right-handers of aggressive demeanour and more than capable of targeting the short, straight boundaries if Briggs erred. Vince’s decision prompted the England analyst, Nathan Leamon, to tweet: “That is Southern BRAVE!!!”Banton duly took a look at Briggs’ first ball, decided there wasn’t much to fear, and popped the next two back down the ground for sixes, before following up with a boundary swept behind square. Sixteen runs from three scoring shots and Fire were cooking.Bairstow bides time
With Banton sounding the bugle, Bairstow was left searching for the spark that had ignited Fire’s opening win at Headingley. In that game, Bairstow creamed 39 out of an opening stand of 43 with Banton; here it was the younger man who took charge, scoring 30 out of Fire’s 38 for 0 in the Powerplay.Even after Banton was dismissed, bowled by Lintott’s first delivery in the competition, Bairstow remained subdued. His only boundary in the first half of the innings was an inside edge for four off Tymal Mills, but he resolved to turn over the strike and allow his partner to attack – Duckett picked up the Banton baton by twice reverse-sweeping fours off Lintott and then using the pace of Overton to ramp a six over the keeper. From the end of the Powerplay until the 67th ball, Fire managed only four boundaries as the second-wicket pair took the game deep.But nobody puts Jonny in the corner for long in white-ball cricket these days. Having been 20 from 21, a pulled four off Overton helped him find his range, before another moment of fortune saw a miscue off Mills fly for six over the keeper’s head. Then he was away, hitting two sixes and two fours in a set from Colin de Grandhomme that cost 22 as Bairstow raised his half-century from 31 balls.Duckett had also sensed the moment, carting four consecutives boundaries off Lintott via a selection of sweeps, while Briggs was twice fetched into the stands by Bairstow, making his last appearance before going on Test duty with England. The damage for Brave would have been worse had he not picked out long-on with six balls remaining.James Neesham sealed victory with figures of 3 for 5•Getty Images

Brave attempt
Cardiff’s dimensions come into play for teams defending, particularly as the ball gets old, with pace off and cutters bowled into the pitch forcing batters to take on the long, square boundaries. If they were going to be successful, Brave would likely have to go hard early on and try to get ahead of the rate against the new ball and with fielding restrictions in place.Fire started with an over from Glenn Phillips, perhaps with the left-handed de Kock in mind; but Vince took strike and carved out two boundaries. Matt Critchley’s legspin was then hit straight back over his head by de Kock, who also launched David Payne for a brace of sixes in his opening set, before pulling to deep backward square for 21 off 7. But Vince and Devon Conway, who successfully reviewed after being given out caught behind off Qais Ahmad, kept a decent tempo as Brave finished their Powerplay on 55 for 1 – significantly ahead of Fire’s mark earlier in the day.After 50 balls, Vince and Conway had taken the score on to 85 for 1 and Brave were more than halfway to their target. But Fire claimed three wickets for 11 over the next three sets of five and the required runs per ball hit 2 for the first time. Vince was Neesham’s first victim, as the New Zealander’s variations in pace and length proved particularly effective, and when he had Ross Whiteley playing on for 25 off 14 from the 89th, Brave’s challenge was as good as over.

Birmingham City fans won’t have been revelling in their Monday night win over Wrexham for too long, hopeful that their entertaining side can pick up another early season victory in League One against Rotherham United today.

Steve Evans’ Millers will be a stern test for the Blues away from home, much like Phil Parkinson’s Red Dragons were early on last time out, but Birmingham boss Chris Davies will want his side to show off their unbelievable ability again to put another third-tier opponent to the sword no matter who awaits them.

Although he would have been very pleased with the nature of his side’s 3-1 win against Wrexham, the former Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager turned fully-fledged Blues boss will be tempted to make tweaks here and there regardless, with the possibility that Alfie May could surprisingly drop out alongside a suspended Krystian Bielik.

Alfie May's performance vs Wrexham

May was utilised in more of an attacking midfield role against the visitors from Wales, with Jay Stansfield stealing the show as the main striker over the experienced sharpshooter.

It will take time and adjustments on Davies’ end to ensure he gets the most out of both May and Stansfield up top, considering the potent 31-year-old centre-forward did pick up the League One Golden Boot accolade last campaign with Charlton Athletic.

The ex-Addicks striker already has four goals next to his name from five league encounters too, including this penalty on the opening day to get up and running in a Blues shirt, but he was uncharacteristically quiet versus Wrexham all the same.

Away from the likes of Alex Cochrane who was always trying to find an opening to catch Phil Parkinson’s men cold, May wasn’t that involved with play as much, with the left-back amassing a ridiculous 125 touches compared with his teammate’s lesser 47.

Stansfield, on the contrary, would need even fewer touches than May’s total to fire home two crucial strikes, with just 29 touches managed, as May only had two efforts on goal all night too playing behind the standout number 28.

May was handed out a middle-of-the-road 6/10 rating after the game subsequently by Birmingham Live journalist Alex Dicken, who stated that he ‘didn’t look entirely comfortable’ playing in a backseat role to the former Fulham man.

This could result in Davies shockingly dropping the 31-year-old, to gift another of his summer recruits in Marc Leonard a chance to shine in a position he knows well.

Why Leonard could replace May

Leonard starred last season in midfield for Northampton Town in League One, before becoming a major target for a whole host of League One and Championship outfits this summer, with Birmingham ultimately winning his services.

However, the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion man has only started three of his side’s five league games to date, but that might well change today in South Yorkshire.

Leonard’s numbers by position for Northampton

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

CM

41

5

2

DM

27

0

1

AM

19

1

4

RW

1

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Looking at his numbers above when playing week in week out for the Cobblers over two loan spells, Leonard excelled when playing in an attacking midfield spot on occasion – away from his standard central midfield duties – with one goal and four assists coming from this spot in the team across 19 appearances.

It also feels unlikely that the Scotsman would displace either Tomoki Iwata and Seung-Ho Paik in the holding midfield spots in Davies XI soon, with Iwata scoring the final goal of the game last time out to secure a well-earned three points for the Blues, whilst Paik also notched up two key passes from deep as his partner.

Also capable of scoring audacious long-range strikes like the one above, Leonard – who was described as an “exceptional” talent by his ex-Northampton boss Jon Brady last season – could be the perfect temporary replacement for an underwhelming May, despite having yet to feature in that attacking berth for his new club.

There’s no doubt that Davies will look to use his full squad this season to ensure positive results continue, with such a tweak potentially in store later today.

Related 124 touches: 8/10 Birmingham star was just as good as Stansfield v Wrexham

Birmingham City fans would have been overjoyed with their team’s 3-1 win over Wrexham.

Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 17, 2024

Harry Kane has shared his thoughts on Bayern's transfer plans and is eager to see Eric Dier stay at the club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Bayern striving to tie down stars to new contracts
• Kane wants team-mates to stay at Allianz Arena
• Striker aiming to "build" great things

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Several Bayern players are coming to the end of their current contracts at the club such as Dier, Alphonso Davies and Joshua Kimmich. With his current deal set to expire in 2025, Real Madrid had reportedly been keeping a close eye on Davies, hoping to secure him on a free transfer. However, recent reports from suggest that Davies is close to signing a new four-year deal with the Bavarians, which has settled the nerves at the boardroom.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HARRY KANE SAID

  Nonetheless, after the 3-2 win over Wolfsburg, Kane sent out a stern message to the club hierarchy as he emphasized the importance of retaining key players and stated: "It's a bigger topic outside than it is within our team. We don't talk about it much in the dressing room. But I would be happy if all the boys extended their contracts and we built on what's currently happening here."

  Kane also expressed his desire to see Dier extend at Allianz Arena and said: "Yes, I would love that. He did really well when he played. Eric and I get on very well. But we haven't talked about his future. That's a matter between him and the club."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Kane has been vocal about his aspirations for Bayern’s future, his performance on the pitch during their recent Bundesliga clash against Wolfsburg was rather unimpressive. The English striker had around seven clear opportunities inside Wolfsburg’s penalty area but failed to convert any of them. Instead, Leon Goretzka and Michael Olise stepped up to inspire Bayern’s win, ensuring the team stayed on track to fulfill their Championship ambitions.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

  After the slender victory over Wolfsburg, Bayern are gearing up for a Champions League encounter against Feyenoord on Wednesday, which will be followed by a challenging Bundesliga trip to Freiburg, three days later.

While it is often bemoaned by fans and Premier League clubs alike, the international break does have its silver linings.

One is that it gives players who are perhaps on the periphery of the national team the chance to make their debut or pick up some more caps, as the stakes are far lower.

This happened in England's game against Ireland over the weekend, as former Manchester United youngster Angel Gomes earned his first cap and then started his first game for the Three Lions against Finland a few days later.

The talented midfielder looked great in both games, and unfortunately for the United fans upset at missing out on him, they may have already sold a youngster who could have been their next Gomes, a prospect who's even been compared to Frenkie de Jong before.

Angel Gomes journey to England

After rising through the youth ranks, Gomes left United in the summer of 2020 and joined French outfit LOSC Lillie on a free, although he was immediately loaned out to Portuguese side Boavista for the 20/21 season.

The young Englishman made 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and providing six assists, impressing his parent club in the process.

He wasn't one of the first names on the teamsheet upon his return to Lille, but he did make 30 appearances across the 21/22 campaign, during which he also became a mainstay in Lee Carsley's England U21 side.

The following two years saw him establish himself as an important cog in Les Dogues' machine, as he made 84 appearances, primarily in defensive, central, and attacking midfield, in which he racked up 21 goals and assists. Unsurprisingly, the 24-year-old has been just as important this season.

He has already made four appearances in the league and Champions League qualifiers, in addition to his two England caps, and while he couldn't get into United's team four years ago, he certainly looks like he would today.

The bad news for the Red Devils is that they may have just sold their next Gomes as well.

Why selling Zidane Iqbal might've been a mistake

Yes, the former United youngster in question is Zidaen Iqbal, who was sold to FC Utrecht in June 2023 for a fee believed to be just £850k.

Now, he's certainly not a household name, but Iqbal was a player who looked very promising during Ten Hag's first preseason campaign with the club, and while you cannot fully judge a player off of how they perform in friendlies, the signs were positive, with BBC Sport journalist Simon Stone describing his performances as "so impressive."

The then 19-year-old also impressed Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy, who described the midfielder as possessing "heaps of technical quality, skill and intelligence" and that he's the sort of player who "demands the ball, moves, scans, never hides and is not scared of making a mistake" – in short, he was looking like an excellent prospect.

If that is not enough, then you should listen to what talent scout Jacek Kulig had to say about the Manchester-born gem, as he described him as a "roaming playmaker" and compared him to the incredibly gifted De Jong, which, based on his position and the way others had spoken about him at the time, makes sense.

Moreover, like the Dutchman, the former Red Devil stands at 5 foot 11, and while that's not short, he's not a midfield destroyer.

Lastly, while he wasn't quite able to break into the first team, he was a star of the youth sides and made 35 appearances for the U23s despite leaving the club when he was just 20.

Ultimately, letting Iqbal leave last summer was probably the right thing to do for his development, as when fit, he played for Utrecht last season, but with how Gomes has progressed in Portugal and France and the pair's positional similarities, it's hard not to look at the Iraqi international and see him developing into a player United should have kept on the books.

Left for £0: Man Utd could regret losing star who's now outscoring Hojlund

The vastly experienced poacher is enjoying a career renaissance.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 11, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Miguel Borja voltou ao Junior Barranquilla. O perfil do clube nas redes sociais confirmou o presente de Natal para os torcedores do clube.

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Borja é jogador do Junior Barranquilla em uma transação feita junto ao Palmeiras. Para contar com ele, os colombianos terão de pagar a quantia de 3,5 milhões de dólares (cerca de R$ 20 milhões na cotação atual) de maneira parcelada ao Verdão. A alteração constante do câmbio era um dos pontos em questão para a conclusão da transferência, situação resolvida ao longo da última sexta-feira.

O Palmeiras tem 100% dos direitos econômicos de Miguel Borja. 70% foram comprados em 2017, com investimento da Crefisa, por cerca de R$ 33 milhões. Depois, o Verdão teve de comprar mais 30% por 3 milhões de dólares, na época, pouco mais de R$ 16 milhões. Agora, com a venda, a dívida com a Crefisa poderá ser, em sua maioria, abatida no que diz respeito ao investimento por Borja.

Em um vídeo gravado à torcida do Junior, Borja se disse feliz com o retorno, agradeceu à direção pelo esforço em repatriá-lo e solicitou aos torcedores que compareçam ao estádio e apoiem os programas de suporte ao clube para um nova temporada de sucesso.

Do lado de cá, a torcida do Palmeiras vê, enfim, a saída de um jovem jogador que chegou cercado das maiores expectativas e que nunca correspondeu a esse fardo. Depois de ser emprestado ao próprio Junior, além do Grêmio, Borja deixa o Verdão de forma definitiva, sem bilhete de volta.

“I don’t think it would be fair on those players who have played in the last 15-16 T20Is that I haven’t played.”

Mohammad Isam01-Sep-2021

Tamim Iqbal has stepped aside from Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup squad, explaining that he did not want to take the place of openers who have been playing in the format more regularly than him in recent times.Tamim informed the BCB president Nazmul Hassan and chief selector Minhajul Abedin of his decision on Wednesday, prior to making the announcement from his official Facebook page.Tamim, however, made it clear that he was not retiring from T20Is, but given his lack of involvement in the T20 World Cup build-up, he felt it would be unfair to take the place of those players who had been tried in his stead.Related

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Tamim Iqbal steps away from T20Is for next six months

Mashrafe and BCB president Hassan laud Tamim for 'brave decision'

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Tamim Iqbal hints he may give up one format to prolong his international career

Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Naim opened mostly in Tamim’s absence, while Liton Das and Mahedi Hasan are the other two candidates who could potentially take those spots. Bangladesh haven’t announced their T20 World Cup team yet, but all four are likely to be in the squad.Tamim said that he would have been fit in time for the but the lack of T20s also played a part in his decision making.”A little while ago I called our board president and chief selector,” he said. “I want to share the same with you. I told them that I don’t think I should be in the World Cup team. There are a few reasons why I am not available for the tournament. Game time is the biggest reason. I haven’t been playing this format for a long time.”I don’t think my knee injury is a concern, because I was going to recover before the World Cup. The main reason that clicked with me when taking this decision was, I don’t think it would be fair on those players who have played in the last 15-16 T20Is that I haven’t played. I was probably going to be in the World Cup team, but I believe it wouldn’t have been fair on those players.”Tamim was a regular in the Bangladesh T20I side until he pulled out of the New Zealand series in March this year. It raised speculation that he was about to retire from the format but Tamim later hinted that playing all three formats wasn’t “ideal” at this stage of his career. He also missed the T20Is against Zimbabwe and Australia due to a knee injury.Chief selector Abedin had recently said to the media that he expected Tamim to walk in to the T20 World Cup side, although coach Russell Domingo had avoided answering a question about the player during a Zoom press conference on Monday.Tamim, however, stressed on the fact that this wasn’t a retirement, but skipping a tournament for which there are better prepared openers. “I want to make it clear that I am not retiring but I won’t be playing this World Cup. I think it is a fair decision.”Those youngsters who are playing in the national team, they should get the opportunities. Their preparation will be better than mine. They will probably be able to serve the team better.”Tamim said that he will look for playing opportunities before Bangladesh’s next assignment, after the T20 World Cup, but asked the media to respect his decision and privacy.”I would ask the media not to call or message me on Whatsapp. I have taken this decision, and I will stick to it. I have given you all the reasons. I am hopeful that you will respect my privacy and the decision. There’s no controversy.”This is what I felt. Those who are close to me, know that whatever I do, I do it from the heart. My heart told me this was the right decision. I think it is the best for the team. I will try to keep myself busy with any format during this time,” he said.Tamim has played 74 T20Is for Bangladesh, having recently lost his place as the highest scorer in the format with Shakib Al Hasan taking his place. He has also scored the only century for Bangladesh, apart from his eight fifties.

أكد ميكيل أرتيتا المدير الفني الإسباني لفريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي آرسنال، أنه لن يستسلم في سباق الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز رغم فارق النقاط مع ليفربول.

ويتخلف آرسنال عن ليفربول صاحب الصدارة بفارق 11 نقطة لصالح الريدز، قبل أن يلتقي الجانرز أمام نوتينجهام فورست، الثالث، غدًا بملعب سيتي جراوند.

وقال أرتيتا في المؤتمر الصحفي للمباراة: “إذا كنت تريد الفوز بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، سيتعين عليك القيام بشيء مميز، ولكن في ظل الظروف التي نواجهها في آرسنال، ربما يتعين علينا القيام بشيء لم يفعله أحد في تاريخ المسابقة”.

“أنا المسؤول والطريق طويل”.. أرتيتا يعلق على سقوط آرسنال المؤلم أمام وست هام 

وأضاف: “لن نتخلى عن مطاردة لقب الدوري هذا الموسم، حتى ولو على جثتي، نعلم أن الفارق كبير لكن لا يزال هناك المزيد من المباريات حتى نهاية المسابقة”.

وأوضح: “من الناحية الحسابية، هذا ممكن، قبل ثلاثة أيام كان بوسعنا تقليص الفارق، ولكن الأمر أصبح أصعب، ومع ذلك نحن ندرك أننا إذا أردنا الفوز بالدوري الإنجليزي، علينا القيام بشيء استثنائي”.

وواصل: “أنظر إلى ما مررنا به في الأشهر الماضية، لقد عانينا من الإصابات ومع ذلك كان الفريق ثابتًا. نجحنا في توليد طاقتنا، وللأسف تعرضنا للهزيمة قبل أن يفوز ليفربول”.

وعن مواجهة نوتينجهام فورست: “سنلاقي مدرباً قام بعمل لا يصدق هذا الموسم، ليس في نوتينجهام فورست فقط وليس هذا الموسم فقط، ولكن مع ولفرهامبتون أيضًا كان رائعًا”.

واختتم: “مارتينيلي وساكا يسيران بشكل جيد على البرنامج العلاجي، ولكن موعد العودة لم يتم تحديده بعد”.