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da gbg bet： It’s finally confirmed. Matheus Cunha has left Wolverhampton Wanderers to join Manchester United in a £62.5m deal.

da realbet： The move was agreed last month, but the Brazilian has now officially departed, giving Vitor Pereira some funds to work with this summer.

Pereira will have to spend wisely to replace the former Atlético Madrid star, as he was capable of moments of genius for the club during his two-and-a-half-year stint in the Midlands.

Indeed, he perhaps single-handedly kept the club in the Premier League last season, especially after they suffered a dreadful start to the campaign.

Matheus Cunha's 2024/25 season in numbers

Last season, he finished with 23 goal contributions – 17 goals and six assists – across 36 matches for the club in all competitions.

It was his displays in the top flight, however, that earmarked him as a target for several clubs.

Matheus Cunha’s Wolves’ statistics

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2024/25

36

17

6

2023/24

36

14

8

2022/23

20

2

1

Via Transfermarkt

In the Premier League, he ranked first among the Wolves’ first-team squad for goals and assists (21), shots on target per match (1.3), big chances created (13) and key passes per game (1.8).

These statistics were mighty impressive, and it makes Pereira’s job of sourcing a replacement that much harder.

He has money to spend, that much is certain. But spending it on the right players will be the most important aspect.

Wolves search for a Matheus Cunha replacement

As reported by journalist Sebastien Denis earlier this week, writing for Foot Mercato, Wolves are reportedly targeting a swoop for FC St Gallen striker Willem Geubbels this summer.

Leeds United are also keen on securing his services following a prolific campaign in Switzerland.

A €10m (£8.5m) asking price is all that stands in Pereira’s way and given the financial rewards on offer for another season in the top flight, this fee won’t be any issue whatsoever.

Across 31 matches in the Swiss Super League for St. Gallen, Geubbels scored 14 goals and grabbed three assists.

Although typically deployed as a centre-forward, the youngster is also able to operate on either wing, and this flexibility will be a major bonus for the club.

This is evidenced by his performance across a range of metrics. Geubbels created seven big chances in the Swiss top flight, while also averaging 1.4 key passes and 2.5 total shots per game for St. Gallen.

Not quite at Cunha’s level, yet. But a move to Wolves could see him improve swiftly, especially with exposure to some of the best defenders in Europe.

Hailed as both “powerful” and “quick” by Kai Watson writing in the Rangers Journal in January 2024, Geubbels will offer plenty to the current Wolves squad.

Watson also stated that the youngster “plays the deeper role as part of a front two because of his creative ability.” And this could see him exuding the qualities that made Cunha such a hit at Molineux since joining in 2023.

Pereira must act quickly to snap up the young forward, especially as plenty of interested parties are keen.

Related Wolves now in transfer race with Leeds to sign "future star" for £8.5m

Wolves are among the teams keen on signing an exciting young forward.

Posts ByBrett Worthington Jun 12, 2025

أعلن مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي عبر صفحته الرسمية عن إعادة جدولة مباراتين في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز خلال شهر ديسمبر المقبل.

ويحتل مانشستر سيتي المركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز برصيد 13 نقطة من 4 انتصارات وتعادل وهزيمتين، وسجل الفريق 6 أهداف واستقبلت شباكه 9 أهداف.

🚨 @PremierLeague Fixture Confirmations 🚨

🆚 Fulham (A)
📆 Tuesday 2nd Dec
⏰ 19:30 (UK)

🆚 Crystal Palace (A)
📆 Sunday 14th Dec
⏰ 14:00 (UK) pic.twitter.com/dR6BmuMJ5X — Manchester City (@ManCity) October 15, 2025

ويستعد مانشستر سيتي لعودة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز الأسبوع المقبل بلقاء إيفرتون يوم السبت 18 أكتوبر على ملعب الاتحاد.

اقرأ أيضاً.. بمشاركة برشلونة ومانشستر سيتي.. ميسي يعلن إطلاق بطولة تحمل اسمه في ديسمبر

وسيلتقي مانشستر سيتي أمام فولهام على ملعب كرافين كوتيدج يوم الثلاثاء 2 ديسمبر الساعة 8:30 بتوقيت مصر، بينما سيلتقي ضد كريستال بالاس يوم الأحد 7 ديسمبر على ملعب سيلهرست بارك في تمام الساعة 3:00 بتوقيت مصر.

وكان مانشستر سيتي قد أنهى الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز الموسم الماضي محتلاً المركز الثالث بـ71 نقطة، خلف ليفربول في المقدمة بـ84 نقطة وآرسنال ثانيًا بـ74 نقطة.

Arsenal’s search for a striker is set to dominate headlines as we enter the first mini-summer transfer window, and it’s an area of the squad which sporting director Andrea Berta is working hard to address.

Arsenal in ongoing talks for Benjamin Sesko in search of striker

Gabriel Jesus’ ACL rupture in their FA Cup defeat to Man United, and Kai Havertz’s lengthy absence due to a hamstring injury, crippled Mikel Arteta’s options up front during the second half of 2024/2025, prompting the Spaniard to utilise Mikel Merino in an emergency striker role.

Arsenal given fresh Martin Zubimendi worry as Sociedad president speaks out

The north Londoners are reportedly closing in on a deal for him.

ByEmilio Galantini May 30, 2025

Merino performed well, but that injury crisis up front brought yet more attention to Arteta’s glaring need for a prolific centre-forward.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

A proven number nine has long been touted as the final missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw, and Berta is said to be laying the groundwork on deals to bring Arsenal’s long search for a new striker to an end this summer.

Arsenal have held talks over signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, according to some reports, and they were heavily linked with a move for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, until this week at least.

Now, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko has entered pole position to become Arsenal’s answer to their goalscoring woes, and “concrete” talks are underway after Berta’s meeting with Leipzig director Marcel Schafer in London.

The Gunners are said to be putting their focus on a deal for Sesko, and discussions are centered around a payment structure for his £67 million release clause.

While Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg claims Gyokeres is still high on Arsenal’s list despite these Sesko talks, Spanish media sources claim their negotiations for the Slovenian have put an end to their chase for Sporting’s serial goalscorer.

Arsenal pull plug on Viktor Gyokeres deal after opening Sesko talks

According to reports from Spain, cited by Football 365, Arteta has now ‘ruled out’ an Arsenal move for Gyokeres, and they’ve now ‘withdrawn from the bidding’ to sign him – which could open the door for other linked sides like Man United and Barcelona.

This follows their decision to up the ante in pursuit of Sesko, so going by this update, it appears the 22-year-old is now their priority target.

Given the costs involved when it comes to a deal for Sesko, we wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal pull a U-turn on this call, especially considering that Gyokeres could leave Sporting for just £60 million.

The “quality” ex-Coventry City star is fresh off the back of an exceptional campaign, scoring 54 goals in all competitions, and there are reports in Portugal that Arsenal have already offered Gyokeres a contract, so he could just be on the back-burner for now.

“I have said this before, and I will continue to say it: he brings a lot to the team, and his teammates are aware of what he contributes, which is why they look for him during games,” said Sporting boss Rui Borges about Gyokeres.

“The collective effort also plays a role, as no one can succeed alone. Viktor is a game-changer, and he will continue to be, whether with us or elsewhere. His quality is undeniable; it is phenomenal.”

A total of 663 players are eligible to be picked, with six teams having a pre-set order and various categories to choose from

Umar Farooq19-Nov-2018The player draft for PSL 2019 will need franchises to keep several factors in mind. Here is a quick explainer.How is this draft different from the previous one?
Last year, the teams could retain only a certain number of players in each category since it was an expansion year. But this year, all teams have been given the option to retain up to 10 players across any category they want, subject to the overall category restriction, which is three players in Platinum, three in Diamond, three in Gold, five in Silver, and two in Emerging.The retention window this year closed on November 13, with Islamabad United retaining ten players, so they can pick six more from the draft. Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi and ‘The Sixth Team’ retained eight players each and can pick another eight on draft day. Quetta Gladiators will pick seven more to add to their nine retained players. Each of the six teams has an optional round to pick another four players from the Supplement category.How many players will be available for picking in the draft?
A total of 663 foreign and local players are part of the Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging rosters for teams to pick their player at the draft.What is the value of each category?
Platinum (US $570,000): Teams can have a maximum three players with no more than two local or foreigners. The base price $160,000 and the maximum for one player is $250,000.Diamond (US $270,000): Teams can have a maximum of three players and the base price starts from $80,000. The maximum one player can get $100,000.Gold (US $180,000): Teams can have a maximum of three players, with base price $50,000. The maximum a team can pay a player is $70,000.Silver (US $140,000): Teams can have five players with the base price being $24,000. The maximum for one player is $40,000.Emerging (US $25,000): Two players can be in a side with prices of $12,000 and $13,000 respectively.Supplement (US $175,000): This category doesn’t have a maximum and minimum payroll. It’s an additional round, allowing teams to pick extra players as backup. They can pick a maximum of four players from the purse of $175,000. All foreign supplementary round picks will be active members of the squad. All local supplementary round picks may be confirmed as active players at the discretion of the team.What is the “Sixth Team”?
The PCB recently terminated the eight-year ownership rights of Multan Sultans after the franchise failed to pay their annual fee of US $5.2 million. The PCB repossessed the ownership rights and are reselling the rights before the start of next year’s PSL. Pending further updates, the team shall be referred to as ‘The Sixth Team’ of the PSL.The new rights holder will have the option of choosing the sixth franchise city and name. The board took complete responsibility of all player and coach contracts, and will handover the operation to the new rights holders.How many foreign and local players can a team have in its 16-man squad?
Franchises must pick at least one foreign and one local player in Platinum, meaning they can have two foreigners and one local player or vice versa. But at the conclusion of the Gold round, each team must have four foreign players and four local ones before going into the Silver round. In total, each 16-man squad can have a maximum of five foreign players only. In the Supplementary round, each team can pick up up to two foreign players, to bring their roster up to seven players at the maximum.What is the draft sequence this year?
The formula that the PSL management and franchises have agreed upon is the reverse order of the previous year’s standings. Islamabad United are the title holders and on top of the table, so they will be the last to pick a player in every round. Lahore Qalandars – who finished last in the 2018 season – will have first pick in each round. The Sixth Team will be second, Quetta Gladiators will be third, Karachi Kings fourth and Peshawar Zalmi will be fifth.Every team has retained players in every category. What will they do at the draft?
Teams will first pick new players where applicable in a particular category. So if a team had retained three Platinum players, they can skip their turn in the Platinum round. This will be the same for every category. If a team has retained two Diamond category players going into the draft, that team will use its first pick in the Diamond category to select a new player. The retentions will be counted against the remaining picks in that category.Who traded whom before the draft?
Lahore Qalandars traded Umar Akmal and Sunil Narine to Quetta Gladiators, in exchange for spinner Hassan Khan and fast bowler Rahat Ali. This trade also meant Gladiators gave up their Platinum pick to Qalandars in the first round. Both Gladiators and Qalandars also swapped their second-round picks in the Silver category.The Sixth Team, formally Multan Sultans, sold Sohail Tanvir to Quetta Gladiators for a Diamond-round pick, and bought Mohammad Junaid in exchange for getting the second pick in the Emerging Category.How can a player be an Ambassador for a team?
Each team can have one Ambassador, given additional ambassadorial responsibilities. Teams are allowed to have one player in the squad in a lower category than designated one to prevent ‘underhand’ deals. An Ambassador can be appointed at the time of retentions, or after a player has been picked at the draft.What is the role of a mentor?
A player can be eligible for a mentor’s role if he has captained his national team and has either announced retirement from international cricket, or been inactive in the national team set-up for at least one year. The role was instituted for players like Brendon McCullum, Kumar Sangakkara, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq. This nomination allows teams to not spend their Platinum picks on players close to retirement.A player mentor can be relegated by a maximum of one category if designated at the time of retentions. If he is picked in the draft, he cannot be relegated and appointed mentor.

He learned plenty about batting at Test level during Pakistan’s tour of the UK without quite making the big scores to show for it. Now, in Dubai, he made all that learning count

Osman Samiuddin in Dubai08-Oct-20181:18

‘I have struggled a lot to overcome my knee issues’ – Haris Sohail

Sometimes it’s the 30s and 40s that end up mattering, more than some easy fifties and even hundreds. Ordinarily and just off a scorecard, Haris Sohail’s scores this summer in Pakistan’s three Tests in Ireland and England – 31, 7, 39, 39*, 28 and 8 – read like an impeccable requiem to batting frustration. Getting starts, getting set and ultimately getting nowhere. It’s not true.What Haris was doing, especially for example during that 31 in Malahide and the first innings 39 at Lord’s, was learning how to bat at this level. The Lord’s innings in particular was about as rewarding a 39 a young batsman can score in his career. The ball was darting about, off the surface and in the air throughout, and he was facing, for those conditions, two of this planet’s finest bowlers.The enduring image from it is of him playing, missing, turning back, putting his head down, the ball perhaps out of his head, facing up again and doing it all over again. And again, and again. Occasionally he struck the sweetest shots; in one Jimmy Anderson over on the second morning, he first drove a boundary through the covers in the approved manner of sexy left-handedness, on one knee; and then he bunted one straight down the ground, both as clean as soap. He then got struck on the ribs in anger and ended the over beaten twice by monster Anderson balls.If he was so inclined there was more learning to glean from that one over than some entire innings he would have played. Through the innings he worked out ways to score runs, to pull bowlers into bowling to him; he worked out a way to sustain a partnership and was, ultimately, a significant little part of a big win. At Headingley, he would start poorly before settling and then throwing his wicket away.As it turns out, all of that went into what came out today, in the form of a maiden Test hundred. Now to be honest, this was a bit of a grind, especially if you contrast it with the elegant sprightliness of his very first Test innings last year.This one contained long periods nobody will remember, and not just because there was nobody in the stadium to do the remembering. These periods were occasionally punctuated by reminders of his heightened sense of timing – a skip down the track to the spinner, a shimmering drive through extra. There was one late-afternoon push down the ground which was so deceptively well-timed, it looked for most of its existence as if it would fetch, at most, a risky single.But overall it was the kind of innings that allows people’s minds to drift away from it, because it is unhurried even as it was mostly untroubled. The kind where people get bored and instead get worked up about the pitch being a road or some such instead, and only desultorily acknowledge the innings because of the wholeness a three-figure landmark provides it. If you argued that his 39 was the better innings, no jaws would drop.It was also, as some of his more notable work has always been, an intelligent innings. Assess the conditions, the opponents in front of you, and work around that. When the ball got old and lost its seam, he figured out that run-scoring might become difficult. The outfield was heavy too, so even though he was timing some strokes well, he was getting little reward. So he stopped, because what England taught him was not to panic when things weren’t going to plan. He just waited until the new ball when he knew the runs would come.”I got out in the 30s [in England], sometimes I got a good ball, a couple of times I panicked and threw my wicket away,” he said. “Here I was consciously trying to move out of that situation where you can panic.”That was the one thing in my mind throughout this innings, that I need not panic. The time to score runs will come and I just need to cash in then, so when I got out of those panic situations, the runs started flowing.”It was almost exactly a year ago that he was making his Test debut, down the highway in Abu Dhabi. He had nearly lost his career in getting to that point and his 76 felt cathartic. It also worked as a retort. You’ll remember the circumstances around it, when he was the guy who wasn’t the guy who should’ve been.When Haris turned up at the press conference that day he was a little nervous, plenty relieved, and somewhat defensive, as if still not believing that his traumas were completely behind him, or that there wouldn’t be brickbats in the imminent future because he wasn’t Fawad Alam.Naturally, Haris was a much lighter presence today (apropos nothing, it was Fawad’s birthday today), enough to joke about being a (decent, polite) guy who ignored some mild Aussie chirping, letting it go in one ear and out the other, or that one benefit of the stadium being so empty was that he could at least hear his name being chanted clearly by the very few who did turn up.”Obviously when you get your first 100 in Test cricket, the excitement of that is different,” he said. “When I got the hundred, just everything about it was different, the excitement of that moment. It matters a huge amount to do it for your country.”

حسم المدرب السويسري لوسيان فافر، المدير الفني السابق لبوروسيا دورتموند ونيس، الجدل حول أنباء دخوله في مفاوضات مكثفة مع النادي الأهلي خلال الساعات الماضية.

وخرجت بعض التقارير الصحفية وأفادت بوجود مفاوضات قوية بين الأهلي ولوسيان فافر لتدريب الفريق في الفترة المقبلة، رغم غيابه عن التدريب منذ رحيله عن نيس في سبتمبر 2023.

اقرأ أيضًا | عمرو الصفتي: لا بد أن يعدم الأهلي هذا المسؤول.. وزيزو لم يكن يومًا أحسن لاعب في مصر

وفي تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات، نفى فافر بشكل قاطع صحة ما تردد، قائلاً: “كذبة أخرى جديدة”.

وأضاف: “قلت منذ أكثر من عامين ونصف إن الأمر انتهى بالنسبة لي في التدريب، على أي حال، لم أكن سأذهب إلى هناك أبدًا (الأهلي)، والآن، أنا آسف، لكنني لم أعد متاحًا على الإطلاق”.

وجاء رد المدرب السويسري ليضع حدًا للشائعات التي تحدثت عن وجود ترحيب منه بتدريب الأهلي، مؤكدًا أن مستقبله التدريبي قد حُسم منذ فترة طويلة.

بهذا التصريح، يكون فافر قد أغلق الباب أمام أي احتمالية لعودته إلى العمل من جديد، بعد مسيرة طويلة في الملاعب الأوروبية.

Celtic are eyeing up a surprise move for a Premier League star who has been compared to Liverpool cult hero James Milner, according to a new report.

Rodgers wants reaction after derby defeat

Celtic remain in control of the Scottish Premiership title race, but their final match before the international break ended in heartbreak with a 3-2 defeat to fierce rivals Rangers.

The defeat, which came courtesy of a late strike from Rangers’ Hamza Igamane, marked the first time the Hoops have been beaten by Rangers at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership since October 2020.

On that day, a brace from defender Connor Goldson was enough to secure all three points for the Gers, who later went on to clinch the title. Speaking after his side’s most-recent Old Firm defeat, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers not only urged his side to bounce back, but also apologised to the club’s fans.

Not Maeda or Kuhn: Celtic's "amazing" star should be the Player of the Year

This Celtic star should be the Player of the Year over both Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 21, 2025

“Firstly, the message to the supporters is, we apologise because we always want to win games here and against our big rivals, so, for them, it’s not a great feeling,” he said. “In every facet of the game, we have to be much better, and if you’re going to be a champion this year, you’ve got to go and show that you’re a champion and you’ve got to earn it.”

He added: “So there are eight games to go, with 13 points, but we’ve got a lot of big games to play.”

Celtic eyeing move for Liverpool cult hero Endo

It was Japanese duo Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate who were on the scoresheet for Celtic in their defeat to Rangers, with both having since been called up for international duty by Japan. Neither featured as Japan beat Bahrain 2-0 in World Cup qualifying last week, however one man who did was Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, who could soon be joining his countrymen at Parkhead.

Endo, who joined the Reds in 2023, has struggled for game time under new manager Arne Slot this season, yet to start a Premier League match and featuring for just 140 minutes in Liverpool’s Champions League run.

According to reports relayed by Glasgow World, the 32-year-old could now leave Anfield at the end of the season, and Celtic are one of a number of clubs considering a summer swoop. Italian giants AC Milan, as well as Premier League trio Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town are also keen on the Liverpool star.

Endo has previously been compared to Liverpool cult hero James Milner by former Reds manager Jurgen Klopp because of his willingness to “throw everything on the pitch”, and his versatility and heart have formed him a similar connection to the Anfield faitfhul as the one Milner had, with Slot saying: “What makes Wata special, in my opinion, is every time we have to rely on him – if it’s five, 10, 20 or 25 minutes – he shows up.”

Arsenal have reportedly sent their first offer for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, while Manchester United are prepared to outbid their rivals.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Gyokeres an in-demand striker
• Arsenal lodge 'first offer' for Swede
• Man Utd prepare to outbid them

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Portuguese outlet Mais Futebol claim Arsenal are prepared to pay Sporting just under €60 million (£51m) for the striker, with bonuses on top taking it above that amount. United, on the other hand, are said to be considering a €60m bid with another €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons. However, the Portugal giants are reportedly holding out for €80m (£68m).

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This comes at a time when allegations of blackmail at Sporting have emerged, and Gyokeres has reportedly threatened to go on strike to force a transfer exit. Despite that, it seems the Premier League teams will need to increase their offers to land the Sweden international this summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Since swapping Championship side Coventry City for Sporting in the summer of 2023, the 27-year-old has scored 97 goals and added 27 assists in just 102 games for the Lisbon outfit – while winning two Primeira Liga titles and the Taca de Portugal cup along the way.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  It remains to be seen if any team will meet Sporting's asking price for Gyokeres, whose contract at the club runs until 2028. Both United and Arsenal are in need of a new striker but whether they sign the ex-Brighton man is up in the air.

Rubel Hossain’s famous four-for in Adelaide in the last World Cup remains his most memorable performance. He will look to change that in England

Mohammad Isam02-Jun-20192:25

Rubel sends England packing

Rubel Hossain was all the rage four years ago. His head-spinning move from Dhaka’s central jail to the cauldron of a World Cup match occurred in a matter of weeks, and he became the hero of Bangladesh’s historic win over England, which took them to their maiden World Cup quarter-final.While the entire country danced to the tune of Rubel’s last two wickets against England that day in Adelaide, and his real-life turnaround caught the imagination of an already excitable cricket nation, the performance didn’t quite transform his life.His 4 for 53 lives on in highlights montages, but despite having over ten years’ experience in international cricket, Rubel will play a much smaller role for Bangladesh in this World Cup. In all likelihood, 22-year-old fast-bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin will be preferred over Rubel in their opening game, against South Africa. Saifuddin is a more accomplished batsman and has also carved out a spot as a death bowler.ALSO READ: Bangladesh’s selection issues: Rubel or Saifuddin, or both?Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza considers Rubel a dependable bowler, mainly due to his ability with the old ball mid-innings and for being reliable in the death overs, but it’s a fact that he hasn’t lived up to his potential in international cricket. His Test bowling average is the worst among those who have bowled at least 3000 deliveries. And in ODIs, since the end of the 2015 World Cup, he has taken 46 wickets at an average of 33.23 from 36 innings.Rubel has never appeared as confident as many of his other more celebrated and successful team-mates even though he has starred in some of Bangladesh’s iconic wins – against Sri Lanka on debut in 2009, New Zealand in 2010 and 2013 (where he took a career-best six-for), and of course, the 2015 World Cup win in Adelaide.After his 6 for 26 against New Zealand, which contained a hat-trick, his captain at the time, Mushfiqur Rahim, said that it was the first time Rubel had used his head. What Mushfiqur meant was that Rubel had finally shouldered the responsibility of being a leader of the attack after four years of international cricket. Bangladesh fans will be quick to point to the lows too – when Muttiah Muralitharan smashed him in a tri-series final ten years ago; and the Nidahas T20 Trophy final, when Rubel, having bowled so well earlier in the game, and through the tournament, ran into a rampant Dinesh Karthik.”It is important to keep cool while bowling. One or two boundaries can rattle bowlers but it is necessary to think clearly and finish the over properly”•Getty Images”I consider myself a positive person, so I don’t let bad thoughts take control,” Rubel says. “After I have bowled a couple of deliveries to my liking – where the ball has pitched where I intended it to, and it goes through quickly – then I try to build a rhythm.”The Adelaide spell was a great moment in my career. In English conditions, I will keep that performance in mind. We usually go through footage before every tournament, but I will definitely review my good performances. My preparation will reflect the positivity I gain from remembering some of my best performances.”While great spells from him have been sporadic, Rubel’s main role, of bowling in the death overs, has been a constant in the Bangladesh bowling set-up. He is among the top three-wicket takers in the last five overs for Bangladesh. Rubel and Mustafizur Rahman have formed a partnership since 2018 and have done well at home against Sri Lanka as well as in the West Indies, where Bangladesh won the ODI series in July last year.”Bowling in the slog overs is getting harder,” Rubel says. “Batsmen are targeting boundaries every ball. It is important to keep my cool, read the batsman and bowl. Right execution brings success, and I am working on it in training.ALSO READ: Mohammad Isam picks Bangladesh’s all-time World Cup XI”We know that conditions in England now allow teams to reach 400 runs at times. It is important to keep cool while bowling. One or two boundaries can rattle bowlers but it is necessary to think clearly and finish the over properly. It is a batsmen’s game, so the bowlers have a battle in their hands.”Rubel won’t be a front-line option for Bangladesh in the World Cup. Over the last four years he just hasn’t bowled as well as the team’s second-most experienced pace bowler ought to have done. He will need to tap into his big-match temperament and remember that one great spell isn’t going to give him a regular place in the Bangladesh team.

Percy had been a regular at Sri Lankan cricket matches for more than five decades, but gained global prominence during the 1996 World Cup

Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Oct-20230:58

Theekshana on Uncle Percy: ‘We always saw him waving the flag’

Sri Lanka mascot and superfan Percy Abeysekara, affectionately known as Uncle Percy, has died aged 87.Percy had been a fixture at Sri Lankan cricket matches for more than five decades, but gained global prominence during the 1996 World Cup, particularly when he was seen parading the Sri Lanka flag around the ground at Lahore, following Sri Lanka’s victory in the final.Renowned for his rhyming English-language chants, and witty exchanges with players – both Sri Lanka cricketers and foreigners – Percy was beloved in Sri Lankan grounds in particular, but was frequently seen wherever Sri Lanka toured, particularly during Test matches. He was among the first generation of travelling superfans.Percy Abeysekara, A.K.A Uncle Percy, with his giant Sri Lankan flag in tow•AFP/Getty ImagesHe enjoyed the admiration of many top cricketers over the decades, In the 1980s, Martin Crowe awarded one of his Man of the Match trophies to Percy, for his passion for the game. And then as recently as the Asia Cup this year, Rohit Sharma had visited Percy in his home, as he battled the illness that would eventually claim his life.

It is with great sadness that I heard our beloved Uncle Percy has met his maker. You were the first superfan and for all of us you will always be special RIP

— Sanath Jayasuriya (@Sanath07) October 30, 2023