Tag Futebol

Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably the greatest football manager of all time, with the Scot transforming Manchester United into one of the world’s biggest clubs.

In his 27 years in charge at Old Trafford, Ferguson couldn’t stop winning and worked with some iconic players. Bringing through the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs from the Red Devils’ academy, Ferguson also signed superstar attackers Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona and Wayne Rooney.

But who does a legendary manager like Ferguson have down as his greatest of all time? He gave five answers to that question, with some iconic names included, but no space for any of his former United icons.

Sir Alex Ferguson named Arsenal star as "perfect" for Man Utd and tried to sign him

The Red Devils and the Gunners have had a fierce Premier League rivalry.

By
Charlie Smith

May 22, 2025

5

Johan Cruyff

Netherlands

Starting off Ferguson’s five GOAT’s is Johan Cruyff, who starred for Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands. The versatile forward created the ‘Cruyff turn’ still used to this day and transformed the way football was played in the 1960s and 1970s.

Cruyff won 10 league titles as a player, three European cups and three Ballon d’Or awards and would then go on to have a successful career as a manager.

4

Pele

Brazil

Goalscoring icon Pele holds the Guiness World Record with 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies.

The Brazilian starred for Santos over 18 years but it was his displays on the World Cup stage in 1958, 1962 and 1970 that placed him among the greatest of all time.

Pele also loved Ferguson, saying: “Sir Alex, you were my idol as a coach and you are an example for future generations. Sir Alex, you are a legend and your achievements will hardly ever be surpassed.”

3

Diego Maradona

Argentina

Prior to the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi era, it was the Pele and Diego Maradona era, with the duo actually sharing the prize of FIFA Player of the Century in 2000.

An attacking midfielder, Maradona would star in Europe during the 1980s, most notably for Napoli. His most memorable year came in 1986 when he helped Argentina win the World Cup, and he’d then take Napoli to two Serie A titles.

2

Ferenc Puskas

Hungary

Hungarian icon Ferenc Puskas starred for his country by scoring 84 goals in 85 games, and at club level, moved to Real Madrid at the age of 31, where he would continue to score for fun at the Bernabeu.

Following Puskas’ death in 2006, Ferguson said: “I was lucky to see Puskas play quite a few times. I have many memories of him. I was at the European Cup final in 1960 but I also saw him score the only goal against Rangers at Ibrox, before he got a hat-trick against them when Real scored six in the second leg.

“In his day he was a special player without question, part of that great period for Hungarian football. How they did not win the World Cup in 1954 is beyond me.”

1

Alfredo Di Stefano

Spain

The oldest player on the list is another forward in Alfredo Di Stefano, who ended up signing for Real Madrid instead of rivals Barcelona in 1953.

That would be a decision Barcelona would live to regret, with Di Stefano scoring 216 league goals in 282 games for Madrid. Although he also played for Argentina and Colombia, Di Stefano represented Spain.

Talking back in 2014, Ferguson was asked for his greatest ever players following Di Stefano’s passing, to which he said:

No room for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi at the time, so it would be interesting to see if either make his list more than 10 years on.

West Ham United have now submitted a £22m offer for an “exciting” player who turned down a move to Manchester United, according to a report.

Hammers set for busy summer transfer window

There are set to be plenty of changes at the London Stadium this summer, with replacements needed for the likes of Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Danny Ings and Kurt Zouma, who have all been released following the expiration of their contracts.

It looks like some of the Hammers’ summer transfer business could be funded by another departure, with Mohammed Kudus emerging as a major target for two of their Premier League rivals.

The Hammers have already knocked back a £50m bid from Tottenham for Kudus, but with the north Londoners set to make another approach, it is looking increasingly likely that Graham Potter will need to bring in a new winger this summer.

Following Fabianski’s exit, a new goalkeeper will also be required, and West Ham have now made a €25m (£22m) offer for Parma shot-stopper Zion Suzuki, according to a report from Parma Live.

The Irons will have to submit a higher bid in order to get a deal over the line, however, considering the 22-year-old is happy to remain at Parma and the Italian club want to keep hold of him.

Offer made: West Ham now leading race to sign "powerful" £20m+ defender

The Hammers could be closing in on their first signing of the summer.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Jul 6, 2025

Several Premier League clubs have also been named as potential suitors for Suzuki, including Chelsea and Man United, with the goalkeeper once turning down a move to Old Trafford because he didn’t want to be second choice behind Andre Onana.

"Exciting" Suzuki could be ideal signing for West Ham

Football scout Ben Mattinson was left impressed by the Japenese shot-stopper’s performances in the Serie A last season, saying: “Zion Suzuki pulled off a phenomenal save against Roma and he’s rightly making the headlines.

“Despite Parma’s struggles at times this season, Zion Suzuki has stood out for his performances in goal. Remains one of the most exciting young keepers right now.”

The New Jersey-born goalkeeper was a regular starter for the Serie A side throughout the campaign, indicating that he could immediately challenge for Alphonse Areola’s starting spot, and there are signs the Parma man could be an ideal signing for West Ham.

Having averaged 43.59 touches per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 89th percentile, Suzuki is clearly comfortable with his feet, which indicates he could be a good fit in a Potter system.

As such, the Hammers should return with a higher offer, especially given that a long-term replacement for Areola is needed, with the French goalkeeper now 32-years-old.

Arsenal have plenty of time on their hands to bring in stars to strengthen their bid for the Premier League title, but may now face a battle to retain one of their key men, according to a report.

Arsenal closing in on Martin Zubimendi deal

In what appears to have become a long-running saga, Arsenal are close to signing Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi after the Spain international was in London over the weekend to try and iron out the finer details of his move.

With Thomas Partey set to leave the Gunners on a free transfer amid interest from Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, there is definite scope for Mikel Arteta to reshape his engine room ahead of another campaign where his side are expected to lead the fight on all fronts.

Nevertheless, there is still no clear direction on whether Arsenal will sign Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres to lead the line as the financials involved between the club and either RB Leipzig or Sporting remain to be determined.

Of course, the Gunners have plenty of capital to play with in North London, but they need to factor in the best possible way to use it without being short-changed in their hunt for reinforcements.

Taking a measured approach to signings makes a degree of sense, though there is always a sense of impatience among supporters desperate to see new arrivals.

Arsenal ready move to sign £40m+ Chelsea star with Maresca open to offers

The Gunners are reportedly ready to launch a surprising move.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 23, 2025

Jorrel Hato is another long-term Arsenal target. Still, there may need to be one or two departures to bankroll their summer spending spree.

Looking ahead to potential events that could occur, the Gunners now have a major decision on their hands involving one of their most important contributors.

Arsenal could face battle to retain Gabriel Martinelli

According to TBR, Arsenal could struggle to retain Gabriel Martinelli after Bayern Munich made contact over a potential move for the Brazil international.

Lodging an enquiry, the Bundesliga champions have tempted the 24-year-old to think about his future, and he is said to be ‘exploring his options’ and hasn’t made a conclusive decision over whether to stay in North London or otherwise.

Gabriel Martinelli’s Premier League campaign in numbers – 2024/25 (Fotmob)

Chances created

40

Successful dribbles

33

Shots

55

Shots on target

25

Successful crosses

22

Labelled “brilliant” by teammate Gabriel Jesus, Saudi Pro League clubs have also expressed an interest in his services, though it feels unlikely that he would opt to leave Europe’s top-five leagues during a relatively early stage in his career.

Enjoying a productive time of things last term, £180,000 per week earner Martinelli registered ten goals and six assists in 51 appearances across all competitions and wouldn’t be easy to replace at the Emirates Stadium.

Intriguingly, Arsenal have looked at Chelsea’s Noni Madueke after missing out on Nico Williams to Barcelona, so there is a possibility that wingers will form a key part of their transfer strategy regardless of the outcome elsewhere.

خرج أوريلين تشواميني، نجم نادي ريال مدريد، عن صمته وتحدث عن الأزمة التي حدثت بين منتخب فرنسا وباريس سان جيرمان، بسبب إصابة الثنائي عثمان ديمبلي وديزيريه دوي، خلال فترة التوقف الدولي الحالي.

وأصيب كل من ديمبلي ودوي خلال مواجهة منتخب فرنسا يوم الجمعة الماضي، وذلك لحساب منافسات تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة لمنافسات كأس العالم العام المقبل في كندا والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والمكسيك.

وأثارت إصابة ديمبلي ودوي غضب باريس سان جيرمان، والذي أصدر بيانًا رسميًا يطالب فيه بالتنسيق بين المنتخبات والأندية حول حالة اللاعبين البدنية.

باريس سان جيرمان سوف يفتقد ديمبيلي لحوالي ستة أسابيع، في حين يغيب دوي بحسب التقارير لأربعة أسابيع.

طالع .. مفاجأة .. ألونسو منع انتقال موهوب ريال مدريد إلى الدوري الإيطالي

وخلال مؤتمر صحفي عقد اليوم الإثنين، والذي نقلته ”Rmc sport” دافع تشواميني عن الاتحاد الفرنسي والمدرب ديدييه ديشامب، موضحًا أن الأخير لا يضع ضغطًا على اللاعبين بإشراكهم في المباريات في حال لم يكونوا جاهزين للعب.

وقال تشواميني: “الكل يدافع عن مصالحه، لكن في نهاية المطاف اللاعب هو من يعطي انطباعاته، إذا شعر بصعوبة اللعب بسبب المخاطرة العالية، فإن المدرب يكون متساهلًا حقًا، إنه ليس غبيًا”.

وأضاف تشواميني في حديثه: ”في هذه الحالة، عليك أن تقدم على ذلك، قد تظهر أحيانًا مشاكل صحية أثناء اللعب مع المنتخب الوطني وهذا جزء من اللعبة، لكنني أعتقد أن هناك تواصلًا جيدًا بين الطرفين في مدريد”.

وعن إصابة ديمبلي ودوي أتم تشواميني: “لم نتحدث عن تلك الإصابات، نشعر جميعًا بخيبة أمل لإصابة عثمان، وكذلك دوي، نأمل أن يعودا في أقرب وقت ممكن”.

Liverpool will sign Jeremie Frimpong in the coming weeks (perhaps even sooner). The Bayer Leverkusen star was swiftly identified by FSG as the perfect player to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will join Real Madrid when his contract expires next month.

Though some fans will point toward Frimpong’s advanced role in Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side and reserve judgment until a personal gauge on his defensive ability can be delivered, there’s no question he’s an exciting profile, different to Trent but still a “monster in the final third,” as said by The United Stand’s Beth Tucker.

With the balanced Conor Bradley already making headway in Arne Slot’s team, this contrast of profiles on the right could work a treat for the Merseysiders as they look to defend their Premier League title and challenge for silverware across other fronts.

But it stings that Liverpool have been forced into replacing Alexander-Arnold all the same, with the atmosphere around the vice-captain souring since he intimated his decision to the world earlier this month.

Especially when Los Blancos constantly prove to be the scourge of the Anfield side, with their success in signing Dean Huijsen proving a double whammy.

Why Liverpool wanted Dean Huijsen

Liverpool have two of the finest defenders kicking about today in Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, but the skipper is nearing the twilight of his Premier League career and the latter has just one year remaining on his current deal.

And you can bet your bottom dollar Real Madrid have a vested interest in bringing him to the Spanish capital.

Huijsen was one of Liverpool’s top targets for the summer, but the Bournemouth centre-back has indeed agreed to join Alonso’s new crew, so will partner with Trent in the Madrid backline.

Slot’s side were thought to have had the lead in the young Spaniard, whose breakout campaign in England has drawn plenty of praise, talent scout Jacek Kulig hailing his “extraordinary rise.”

The prototypical modern centre-half, Huijsen’s technical control, rangy physique and natural intelligence make him the perfect player to slot right into the Liverpool project – and he’s left-footed besides.

However, this one’s done, and FSG need to turn their attention elsewhere. Luckily, sporting director Richard Hughes is on the case.

Liverpool make new CB a top target

Liverpool need to sign a centre-back, to be sure. Konate’s actually the last senior signing in that area, arriving from RB Leipzig for £36m four years ago.

Slot needs a rising star, and he might just find one in Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie, with the 23-year-old understood by Spanish sources to be the Premier League champions’ favourite now that Huijsen’s out of reach.

The defender still has four years left on his current deal and is a player of significant potential, with Chelsea quoted at £59m when asking about the Ecuadorian’s availability back in January.

What Piero Hincapie would bring to Liverpool

Hincapie has made 164 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring seven goals, assisting five more, winning an invincible domestic double last season.

Described as a “prodigy” by journalist Jose de Jesus Ortiz two years ago, Hincapie has made incremental progress in Germany, signing from Argentine club CA Talleres as a 19-year-old in 2021.

With Van Dijk set to stay for the next couple of seasons, Hincapie could make a shrewd career move by moving to Merseyside and serving as the defensive great’s understudy before ascending to superstardom himself.

He certainly has the attributes to make his mark. As per FBref, the 6 footer ranks among the top 15% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues this season for goal involvements, the top 16% for passes attempted and shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive passes and the top 4% for progressive carries per 90.

As you can see, he’s got the skill and gifted approach to make a real difference in Slot’s squad, capable even of becoming an even better player than Huijsen.

Also hailed as an “absolute beast” who “can become one of the world’s best centre-backs” by journalist Antonio Mango, Hincapie might have even outperformed Bournemouth’s star defender this term.

Left-footed, he’d also be a suitable successor for skipper Van Dijk, who has renewed his Liverpool contract by two years but turns 34 this summer.

There’s indeed a case to be made that Hincapie is playing at a superior level to Huijsen right now. That’s not to discredit Los Blancos’ new recruit, who already coats himself with the trappings of something special, world-class, but rather, highlights the quality of Leverkusen’s rising star, whose dynamism and athleticism have even permitted him to play on the left flank 11 times this term.

Hincapie is more active in the duel and more accurate too, with several years more experience that have tuned his completeness to a degree that would see him thrive alongside Van Dijk before finally taking his place.

If Liverpool are able to engineer a deal for a figure not too far north of Huijsen’s £50m release clause, something they were willing to meet, this could prove to be an exceptional deal for the Reds.

Having proven himself and then some as one of the best young defenders in the game, Hincapie could veritably explode under Slot’s wing in the Premier League.

He'd be incredible with Kerkez: FSG want to sign £50m "tank" for Liverpool

Liverpool are looking to make sweeping changes in the summer transfer market.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 19, 2025

West Ham United are now preparing a substantial offer for a forward who has an incredible 45 goals and assists combined to his name this season, according to a report.

Hammers keen to strengthen in attack

It has been a season to forget for West Ham, with Graham Potter failing to oversee a major improvement in results and performances since replacing Julen Lopetegui in the dugout, so it is little wonder they are looking at making changes this summer.

Michail Antonio is now in the twilight years of his career at 35, while Niclas Fullkrug has bagged just three Premier League goals all season, meaning the Hammers have now set out to sign a new striker.

Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap is one of the forwards under consideration, given the Englishman’s attractive release clause of just £30m, although it is unclear how keen he would be on a move to the London Stadium, amid interest from some of the league’s top clubs.

Related Huge upgrade on Soucek: West Ham make contact to sign "midfield machine"

West Ham could be about to kickstart the needed overhaul of the squad under Graham Potter this summer.

Posts ByEthan Lamb May 9, 2025

With Mohammed Kudus’ future in doubt, there may also be a need to bring in a new winger this summer, and the Irons have now joined the race for a forward who has been at the top of his game this season.

According to a report from Caught Offside, West Ham are now preparing a substantial offer for Celtic star Daizen Maeda, but there could be fierce competition for his signature, with Fulham, Brentford, Crystal Palace and Leeds United also keen.

In light of Maeda’s impressive performances in the Scottish Premiership, Celtic believe an asking price of £25m is fair, and there is a feeling the forward would be keen on a move to the Premier League, should he receive an attractive offer.

"Beast" Maeda enjoying best season to date

The Japan international has been a key player for Celtic ever since his arrival, but the ongoing campaign has been by far his most prolific, having amassed a remarkable 45 goals and assists in all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Scottish Premiership

33

16

10

Champions League

9

4

1

Scottish Cup

4

7

0

League Cup

3

6

1

Not only that, but the 27-year-old has received praise from writer Sacha Pisani, given his willingness to pitch in defensively for the Hoops.

The Japanese winger’s defensive acumen is also showcased by the fact he ranks in the 98th percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, and the 96th percentile for blocks, when compared to other wingers.

Of course, moving to the Premier League would be a step-up for Maeda, but his performances for Celtic indicate he could be a fantastic signing for West Ham this summer.

While they haven’t quite had the success that the size of the club demands, Arsenal have boasted some genuinely great players during the Emirates era.

The likes of Mesut Özil, Cesc Fàbregas and Santi Cazorla did things few other players could even dream of in the middle of the park, while Robin van Persie looked like the best striker in the world for a period.

Even during the early period of Mikel Arteta’s tenure, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was breaking records up top, but when it comes to the most talented star the team had before the current squad came to be, plenty of fans will point to Alexis Sanchez.

In his pomp, the Chile international was a sight to behold, and now it seems like the Gunners may finally have their new version of the former superstar.

Sanchez's Arsenal career

In the summer of 2014, Arsenal spent around £35m on then-Barcelona winger Sanchez, and while there was some understandable excitement from fans at the time, nobody quite expected him to be as good as he was going to be.

For example, in his first season with the club, the incredibly gifted international managed to rack up a sensational haul of 25 goals and 12 assists in just 52 appearances.

Not only that, but he played a pivotal role in the club’s FA Cup triumph that year, which was their second in as many years.

Over the next three and a half years, the Tocopilla-born phenom would win another FA Cup and three Community Shields while also racking up a tally of 80 goals and 44 assists in 166 appearances, totalling 13556 minutes.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.33 games or every 109.32 minutes for the entirety of his Arsenal career.

Appearances

52

41

51

22

Goals

25

17

30

8

Assists

12

11

18

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.71

0.68

0.94

0.54

However, for all his work, he’s no longer a particularly popular figure around the Emirates, as in January 2018, he moved to Manchester United as Henrikh Mkhitaryan moved the other way, in what might be one of the worst swap deals in history.

The former Gunners star would fail to make an impact at Old Trafford and, just two-and-a-half years later, was sold to Inter Milan.

In all, Sanchez remains one of the greatest players the Emirates has ever seen, and now it looks like Arteta might just have his own version of the Chilean in his squad.

Arsenal's new Sanchez

While the Gunners have a number of talented wingers in the squad, like Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, someone compared to Sanchez has to be truly special, so it will come as no surprise that the player in question is Bukayo Saka.

Now, the comparison stems from a recent OptaJoe statistic, which is the fact that, following his goal against Fulham earlier this month, the Hale Ender became the first Arsenal player to score and assist ten-plus goals “across all competitions in each of the last three seasons.”

The last player to manage this was the former Barcelona star.

However, we’d argue that the similarities go beyond this one stat, as, like the Chilean, the 23-year-old fan favourite is capable of changing games all on his own.

For example, even though he missed over three months of action this season, the “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already managed to rack up a simply staggering haul of ten goals and 14 assists in 27 appearances, totalling 1971 minutes.

Appearances

27

Minutes

1971′

Goals

10

Assists

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.88

Minutes per Goal Involvement

82.12′

That means he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.12 games or every 82.12 minutes, and if that is not a world-class level of output, we don’t know what is.

Moreover, despite not starting a game since late December, the Gunners’ talisman was unplayable against Real Madrid on Tuesday night and could have easily picked up a couple of assists.

Ultimately, Saka is the first Arsenal winger since Sanchez, who is a bonafide superstar, and the good news is that this time, he looks like he wants to stay and fight for titles in North London.

Fabregas 2.0: Real Madrid make Arsenal's £86m "monster" a priority signing

Losing the “phenomenal” talent would be devastating for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 11, 2025

The Rajasthan Royals opener grabbed headlines by scoring the fastest century by an Indian in the IPL

Ashish Pant29-Apr-20254:12

Jaffer: Have advised Suryavanshi to always play his natural game

[Has it ever happened that you’ve hit the first ball you’ve faced for six]?Vaibhav Suryavanshi is seen asking this question – much before his IPL debut – to a fellow Rajasthan Royals (RR) player in a video posted by the franchise. On April 19, the 14-year old lived this dream when he flat-batted Shardul Thakur over the extra-cover fence off his first ball on IPL debut.Suryavanshi has played just three games in the IPL. But, he’s already wowed people in every step of the way, with his six-hitting skills, with his bat speed, with his ability to rip apart bowlers of international repute. On Monday, he took down a Gujarat Titans bowling unit which had in their ranks Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar and R Sai Kishore – all bowlers who have at least one international cap, to become the youngest men’s T20 centurion. It was also the second-fastest hundred in IPL history, off 35 balls.Related

• Suryavanshi, 14, shatters records to keep RR alive

• Suryavanshi rewrites men's T20 records

• A star is born (to bat)

But who is this 14-year-old sensation?Suryavanshi hails from a village named Tajpur in the Samastipur district of Bihar. With facilities limited in Samastipur, Suryavanshi travelled close to 90 kms almost every day to Patna along with his father, Sanjiv Suryavanshi. It was hardly easy, but backed by his father, he was determined to make it big.Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, became the second-fastest centurion in IPL history•BCCI”I am what I am because of my parents,” Suryavanshi said in a video on the official IPL site after his 38-ball 101 in Jaipur. “My mother used to sleep for three hours, wake up at 2am, prepare food for me. My father quit his job, my elder brother took over the job. We had limited means, but my father backed me to succeed. Whatever results you are seeing today, my success is all because of my parents.”Suryavanshi’s rise has been swift. He was just 12 years and 284 days old when he made his first-class debut for Bihar in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season. Before that, he had left a good impression at the Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Bihar, which got him a spot in the Under-19 Quadrangular series in late 2023, also involving Bangladesh, England, and two India teams, A and B, in Mulapadu, Andhra Pradesh.Watch – Highlights of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-breaking hundred on JioHotstar (only in India)Playing for India B U-19, Suryavanshi scored 53 against England U-19 in the first game, followed by 75 against Bangladesh U-19s. It was during this second game that former India opener Wasim Jaffer, who was the head coach of Bangladesh U-19 then, spotted him and was “taken aback” by the youngster.5:27

‘Otherworldly’ Suryavanshi wows Bishop, Aaron

“I was really impressed that somebody so young has been picked and then also he got runs, “Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo. “I was actually pleasantly surprised, especially coming from Bihar.”Jaffer and Suryavanshi regularly chatted about batting, with Jaffer offering him tips on building an innings. “He used to keep messaging every now and then whenever he felt like asking certain things or when he felt like wanting to ask about his batting,” Jaffer said. “He is somebody who plays free-flowing cricket. But suddenly, when you go to a higher level, sometimes you are scared, especially when somebody is so young. So, he might think that he needs to change certain things or that he needs to play differently.Vaibhav Suryavanshi with Wasim Jaffer•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I always encouraged him to be positive and play positive cricket. If the ball is there in your arc, and you feel you can hit it, I always told him to back yourself, irrespective of what standard of cricket you are playing. That’s how our relationship started.”Not that I personally coached him or anything. I won’t take undue credit.”Suryavanshi was picked up in the IPL 2025 auction for INR 1.1 crore after impressing batting coach Vikram Rathour and director of high performance Zubin Bharucha at RR during trials. He didn’t play the first seven games of the season and only came into the team because of an injury to captain Sanju Samson, making him the youngest IPL debutant.Suryavanshi had also messaged Jaffer before his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants.5:13

What’s the best way to handle Suryavanshi?

“He messaged me and said, ‘Sir, I am getting a chance’. I, in fact, told him to take seven to eight balls because there is so much adrenaline when you play in the IPL for the first time. Take a bit of time, let your nerves settle down. Sometimes you play certain shots because the occasion gets the better of you. But he went out there and played first ball for six. So it’s not that he takes every advice of mine. But he is a wonderful kid. And he is talented. In this format, for him to hit 11 sixes in IPL, says so much about his ability and talent.”Don’t get me wrong. A player of his ability, the manner in which he plays, he is going to fail sometimes, and he will look bad when he gets out. But when he comes good, he is a match-winner like yesterday. So we’ve got to take the good with the bad.”Jaffer also believes Suryavanshi has what it takes to become an all-format player. “He has got all the ability and he has got all the time. He has shown what he can do in this format [T20s]. And I am sure he will adapt to one-day cricket and four-day cricket pretty soon. I believe he has got a good defence as well. It’s just playing that format a little bit more.”He still has a long way to go but for now, there is obvious celebration in the Suryavanshi household back home in Samastipur.”He has made our village, Bihar and the whole of India proud. We could not be happier and are celebrating,” his father Sanjiv said in a video released by the Bihar Cricket Association. “I want to thank the Rajasthan Royals who worked on him extensively in the last three-four months. I want to thank head coach Rahul Dravid and the rest of the support staff for improving Vaibhav’s game. He himself has worked very hard on his game and this hundred is a result of that.”

And was Mahika Gaur the youngest player to debut in a T20I at age 12?

Steven Lynch22-Aug-2023Has any wicketkeeper done the “match double” of 100 runs and ten dismissals in a Test? asked Andrew Taylor from Australia

This is a very rare feat: for a start, as this list shows, only seven wicketkeepers have so far taken ten or more dismissals in a single Test. And only one of them allied that to 100 runs: AB de Villiers scored 31 and 103 not out, and also took a record-equalling 11 catches, for South Africa against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 2012-13.There are only 12 further instances of this wicketkeeping double in all first-class cricket, two of them by Rod Marsh. Perhaps the most eye-popping performance by a keeper in any first-class match came from the Zimbabwean Test player Wayne James in 1995-96: captaining Matabeleland in the Logan Cup final against Mashonaland Country Districts in Bulawayo, he hoovered up 13 dismissals to add to scores of 99 and 99 not out.A wicket fell to the first ball of both innings in the UAE’s recent T20I against New Zealand. Had this happened before, in T20s or ODIs? asked Elamaran Perumal from the United States

In last week’s match in Dubai, Chad Bowes was out to the first ball of New Zealand’s innings, then the UAE’s captain Muhammad Waseem was dismissed by the first ball of the reply.It seems this is the first such instance in men’s T20Is, but there is one additional case in an ODI: in Cape Town in February 1993, Pakistan’s Ramiz Raja was dismissed by the first ball of the match, and Desmond Haynes fell to the opening delivery of West Indies’ chase.During the women’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies in November 2018, Yasoda Mendis (Sri Lanka) and Sanjida Islam (Bangladesh) fell to the respective opening deliveries of their matchin St Lucia. Less than a year later came the only such instance in women’s ODIs: Australia’s Rachael Haynes was out to the opening delivery of the match, and West Indies’ Natasha McLean went first ball in the chase, in Coolidge (Antigua) in September 2019.Has anyone who only has one Test wicket taken a better single scalp based on the batsman’s career average than David Gower, who dismissed Kapil Dev (average 31.05)? asked Matt Barrett from England

It’s true that David Gower’s only wicket, in 117 Tests, was that of Kapil Dev, caught for 116 in the closing stages of a draw in Kanpur in 1981-82 – but 31.05 currently only makes it to 116th place on this particular list.The man whose solitary wicket accounted for the man with the highest Test batting average was the old Essex player Jack O’Connor, whose one and only victim in Tests was the great West Indian George Headley, who finished with an average of 60.83: he was bowled by O’Connor in Bridgetown in 1929-30. According to Wisden, O’Connor “bowled slow legbreaks and offbreaks mixed, and had the advantage of looking a good deal simpler than he was”.Just behind O’Connor comes the New Zealander Doug Freeman, whose only Test wicket was that of England’s Herbert Sutcliffe, who ended up with a Test average of 60.73. Freeman was 18, and still at school, when he played two Tests against England in 1932-33; in the second, in Auckland, he had Sutcliffe caught by Lindsay Weir for 33, but had no further success as Wally Hammond purred to 336 not out. A tall legspinner, Freeman did not play again: his Test career was over before his 19th birthday.There are currently 20 other bowlers whose only victim in Tests was someone with an average of more than 50. The list includes Andy McKay (New Zealand) and Ujesh Ranchod (Zimbabwe), who both dismissed Sachin Tendulkar (53.79), and – for the time being at least – England’s Harry Brook, whose only wicket to date is Kane Williamson (54.89).Playing her first T20I at age 12 for UAE, Mahika Gaur is currently the 16th youngest T20I debutant in women’s cricket•Asian Cricket CouncilI noticed that Mahika Gaur, who has just been called up by England, played for the UAE in 2019 when she was only 12. Was she the youngest person to appear in a T20I? asked Mohit Karve from the United States

You’re right that left-arm seamer Mahika Gaur, who was added to England’s T20i squad after some impressive displays for Manchester Originals in the Hundred, had previously played for United Arab Emirates. She was born in Reading in March 2006, but her family was living in the Gulf when she played the first of her 19 T20Is for the UAE, against Indonesia in Bangkok in January 2019, when she was still two months short of her 13th birthday.The proliferation of T20Is since all matches between ICC members were declared official means that no fewer than 15 women younger than Gaur have now appeared in such matches. Six of them come from Jersey, including the youngest of all – Nia Greig, who was just 11 years 40 days old when she played against France in Nantes in July 2019.The youngest in a women’s ODI remains Sajjida Shah, of Pakistan, who was 12 years 171 days old when she made her debut against Ireland in Dublin in July 2000.The youngest to feature in a men’s T20I is Marian Gherasim, who was 16 days past his 14th birthday when he played for Romania against Bulgaria in a Balkan Cup match in Ilfov County in October 2020.The youngest in a men’s ODI is Hasan Raza, 14 years 233 days when he played for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in Quetta in 1996-97. The previous week, Hasan had become the youngest male Test player, in Faisalabad, although it should be noted that there are those who dispute the accuracy of his date of birth.Saud Shakeel has now played seven Tests, and scored at least a fifty in all of them. Has anyone had a more successful start in this regard? asked Zahid Ahmed from Pakistan

The Pakistan left-hand batter Saud Shakeel is unique in kicking off his Test career with a score of 50 or more in all of his first seven matches. Four men started with half-centuries (or better) in each of their first six Tests: Bert Sutcliffe (New Zealand), Saeed Ahmed (Pakistan), Basil Butcher (West Indies) and Sunil Gavaskar (India). Three men managed five: David Steele (England), Roy Dias (Sri Lanka) and Devon Conway (New Zealand).Saud Shakeel has 875 runs after his first seven Tests, a number surpassed at that stage of a career only by Everton Weekes (878), Gavaskar (918) and, almost inevitably, Don Bradman (1196)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

Bess has taken 17 wickets at 22.41 in 2021 but underlying data highlights lack of control

Matt Roller12-Feb-2021Dom Bess pitched the ball on a good length outside off stump, finding sharp turn and bounce to draw an inside edge as Virat Kohli shaped to press towards cover-point. The ball looped up into the hands of Ollie Pope at short leg, and Bess had removed India’s captain with a perfect offspinner’s dismissal.But six days later, Bess will be carrying the drinks, paying the price for his lack of consistency. England have confirmed that Moeen Ali will replace him in the side for the second Test in Chennai in a two-man spin attack alongside Jack Leach, leaving Bess to reflect on his omission in a fluorescent bib.Bess has taken 17 wickets at 22.41 across England’s tours of Sri Lanka and India, but has struggled to land the ball reliably, and bowled poorly in the fourth innings of the first Test in Chennai. He had started the match well, with a tidy spell on the third afternoon in which he claimed the wickets of Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, but was thrown off his length when Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant used their feet against him.He did go on to dismiss both Pujara and Pant – caught freakishly at midwicket after a deflection via short leg and holing out to deep cover respectively – but was hit out of the attack by R Ashwin and Washington Sundar on the fourth morning, and looked particularly out of sorts on the fifth day, when his six overs cost 47 runs.Dom Bess sets off on a celebratory run after dismissing Virat Kohli•BCCI”It wasn’t an easy decision,” Root said after revealing Bess had been dropped. “Dom has contributed fantastically well in these three games and has a made a real impact. With him missing out, the messaging for him is to keep working at that consistency of his game, delivering that skill time and time again. We talk about building pressure over long periods of time and, as well as he has done and the contributions he has made, that is one area he can improve on.”He is very young. He is much at the start of things and this doesn’t mean he is going to be pushed back down the pecking order. It gives him an opportunity to step out of Test cricket – the harshest environment, especially in these conditions, especially against a team that plays spin so well – to take stock and work at his game.”Despite his impressive headline figures over the past four weeks, ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data helps to illustrate Bess’ inconsistency. He has bowled 33 full tosses in 119.1 overs (4.6% of his total deliveries) across the three Tests in Sri Lanka and India, and 67 balls that have pitched short of a length (9.4%). His full tosses have been particularly frustrating for England, costing them 56 runs including 10 fours, contributing to an overall economy rate of 3.19.Furthermore, CricViz’s expected wickets (xW) model – cricket’s equivalent of the expected goals (xG) metric in football – suggests that, in Sri Lanka, the balls Bess bowled were expected to give him a series return of seven wickets at 35.9. In fact, he took 12 at 21.25, indicating that Sri Lanka’s batsmen played him poorly and that he enjoyed more than a small slice of luck.Jeetan Patel, England’s consultant spin-bowling coach, said on Friday that he had emphasised the important of sticking to plans with consistent lines and lengths. He held up the example of Leach’s spell to Pant on the third day in which he stuck to his guns, tossing the ball up towards the footmarks despite being attacked, and suggested that Bess’ final-day struggles may have been the result of fatigue.Moeen Ali will play his first Test since August 2019 in Chennai•ECB”[We’re looking at] pitchmap and pace data – all those things that you can see on Hawk-Eye and that TV does a great job of broadcasting,” Patel said. “It’s those little things that mean a lot. That’s the one message that we’ve been trying to get across from our side as a coaching staff, especially to the spin unit: taking care of the small things – the lines and the lengths, and how often we can do it – to effect games.”[For Leach] it was more about the lengths and lines we asked him to bowl [than his figures]. It was about the areas he bowled. If you look at where he was in the second innings, he raised that bar again, and hit those areas better and better and better.”I think Dom just needs a bit of a rest, to be honest with you. He’s been in the bubbles a long time now, and just as we try to rest and rotate the seamers, it’s started to become evident, especially to me, that maybe Bessy was becoming a bit tired and it might be taking a toll on his outcomes in terms of where he was bowling the ball.”He’s bowled a lot of overs and put a lot of pressure on himself to make sure that he does a great job and he’s done it very, very well. There were certainly signs, I believe, that maybe a bit of tiredness was coming in.””It was a very difficult conversation,” Root said. “It always is when you leave a player out, but especially when it’s someone like Dom who has contributed well and gives absolutely everything every time he pulls an England shirt on.”It’s been made very clear what he needs to go away and work on and he’s taken that on board. I’m sure he’ll come back with questions and I’m sure he will be disappointed, but that’s what you expect from guys that really care and want to be out there all the time, performing for their country.”Bess’ omission has paved the way for Moeen to return, ending his 18-month absence from the Test side. Moeen had been the world’s leading wicket-taker in the year leading up to the 2019 Ashes, but he returned match figures of 3 for 172 in 42 overs in the first Test of that series, and was dropped for Leach immediately after.Related

Chennai Part II – India look for right spin combination as England chase history

England weigh merits of Olly Stone's pace vs Chris Woakes' control for second Test

Root calls for 'real squad effort' as England make four changes

Leach shrugs off Pant mauling to rise to fourth-innings challenge

Chris Silverwood 'not worried' about Dom Bess

His red-ball central contract was not renewed after that series, and he made himself unavailable for selection for the 2019-20 winter, but has since restated his ambitions to play Test cricket. Moeen has not played a first-class game since September 2019, and has not made a competitive appearance in any format since last year’s IPL, but Root insisted that his performances in training merited selection.”I’m very confident he’s in a good place,” Root said. “He’s bowling very nicely and he’s got huge amounts of experience in Tests and he’s played in these conditions before. That will hold him in good stead going in to the game. He’s a fine competitor and he’ll get himself into the heat of the battle. We know he can produce special things in an England shirt [and] in a Test shirt.”[We’re] very excited for him to get this opportunity. He’s worked really hard and obviously had a rough tour having to deal with Covid and quarantine. Since then he’s applied himself really well, worked very well with the other spinners and been a very good senior pro in that respect.”Moeen’s batting may also have been seen as a positive: on a pitch that is expected to turn from the first session and with the loss of Jos Buttler weakening England’s lower-middle order, the inclusion of a man with two Test hundreds in India adds up. Bess is a popular figure within the England camp and Root and Patel were keen to stress that he remains in their plans, but if Moeen performs well then forcing his way back in could be a daunting prospect.