Former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has praised his compatriot, AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric, saying the Croatian’s intelligence puts him a step ahead of everyone else. Rakitic also attributes Modric’s longevity to his unique lifestyle, noting that he approaches football differently from most players and genuinely enjoys the game as he tipped the Rossoneri to challenge for the Serie A title.

• Widespread praise for Modric

  Milan midfielder Modric has earned widespread acclaim for his performances since he joined the San Siro side after his long spell at Real Madrid came to an end in the summer. He became the oldest midfielder in Serie A history to score when he netted the winner in a 1-0 victory over Bologna. Coach Massimiliano Allegri says Modric is always a step ahead of everyone else while Milan legend Demetrio Albertini compared him to Andrea Pirlo, praising his ability to elevate those playing alongside him.

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  Rakitic's praise for Modric and his secret to longevity

  In an interview with , Rakitic spoke about how happy Modric is at Milan: "We spoke yesterday, he's very happy, he invited me to Milan. He says Italian football is very different from Spanish football, but he's having a great time. And he's also very happy with his teammates; his family is enjoying this new chapter. He has [director Igli] Tare to thank for all of this: he was the one who brought him to AC Milan."

  Rakitic also revealed Modric’s secret to career longevity: "Luka is totally different from the others in his way of living and working. He enjoys his profession; he lives for football and does everything well. He has a physical trainer he works with every day, but he has a footballing intelligence that puts him ahead of everyone else. Now he's better than ever."

• Milan's scudetto chances

  After Milan collected an impressive four points against fellow Serie A contenders Napoli and Juventus, Rakitic believes that with a coach like Allegri and a winning mentality like Modric’s, the Scudetto is an achievable target. 

  "It will be decided in March. I like teams that grow throughout the year: you don't have to be at their best in November or February, but in the spring. If the players do that, with a coach like Allegri who has won everything, they can win," he added.

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• AFP
  

  Milan's upcoming test vs Fiorentina

  Milan and Allegri will rely on Modric’s experience and technique as they aim to mount a Scudetto challenge. The Rossoneri face Fiorentina on October 19 and will hope they can secure all three points against Stefano Pioli’s side.

أنهى الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم حالة الجدل التي تصاعدت خلال الساعات الماضية بشأن موقف نبيل عماد دونجا، لاعب وسط نادي الزمالك، من المشاركة في بطولة السوبر المصري المقبلة، بعد سلسلة من التصريحات المتضاربة حول العقوبات الصادرة بحقه.

تعود تفاصيل الأزمة إلى مباراة السوبر المصري الموسم الماضي، التي شهدت أحداثًا مثيرة للجدل داخل أرض الملعب، أبرزها واقعة اعتداء تورط فيها كل من نبيل عماد دونجا، ومصطفى شلبي (لاعب الزمالك السابق)، وعبد الواحد السيد (مدير الكرة السابق). وانتهت الواقعة حينها بـ احتجاز الثلاثي مؤقتًا في الإمارات قبل الإفراج عنهم بعد تدخل رسمي من مسؤولي البلدين.

وعقب الحادثة مباشرة، أصدرت لجنة المسابقات باتحاد الكرة قرارات انضباطية صارمة، تضمنت إيقاف اللاعبين لمدة أربع مباريات في بطولة السوبر المصري المقبلة، بالإضافة إلى تغريم نادي الزمالك ماليًا على خلفية ما حدث.

ومع مرور الوقت، عاد الملف إلى الواجهة مجددًا، بعدما خرجت تصريحات تفيد بعدم وجود عقوبات رسمية سارية على دونجا، حيث أكد محمد أبو الوفا، عضو مجلس إدارة الاتحاد السابق، أن اللاعب “من حقه المشاركة بشكل طبيعي”، مشيرًا إلى أن الاتحاد الحالي “لا يمتلك قرارات مفعلة تمنع ذلك”.

طالع أيضًا | أول رد رسمي من الزمالك على أزمة مشاركة دونجا في السوبر المصري

لكن في المقابل، رد إيهاب الكومي، عضو الاتحاد السابق، بنفي قاطع لتلك التصريحات، ونشر عبر صفحته الرسمية على موقع “فيس بوك” صورة من البيان الرسمي الصادر في 31 أكتوبر 2024، الذي تضمن تفاصيل العقوبات الموقعة على لاعبي الزمالك في ذلك الوقت.

وفي أحدث تطور، أكد مصدر مسؤول داخل اتحاد الكرة في تصريحات خاصة لموقع بطولات أنه تم الاستقرار بشكل نهائي على استمرار إيقاف نبيل عماد دونجا، وبالتالي غيابه عن بطولة السوبر المصري المقبلة بشكل رسمي.

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق بطولة كأس السوبر المصري يوم 6 نوفمبر 2025 في الإمارات، بمشاركة الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا، وسط ترقب جماهيري كبير لما ستشهده البطولة من مواجهات قوية وأجواء مشتعلة داخل وخارج الملعب.

Chelsea could push to sign a “world-class” Robert Sanchez replacement in the January transfer window, after the goalkeeper’s disastrous performance against Manchester United.

Sanchez sent off in Man Utd defeat

The Blues suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday afternoon, succumbing to a 2-1 loss against Man United at Old Trafford, with Sanchez’s early dismissal making the task considerably more difficult.

The Spaniard saw red just five minutes into the game, after bringing down Bryan Mbeumo when the forward was through on goal, with Enzo Maresca criticising his goalkeeper for the tackle in his post-match interview.

Maresca looked at replacing Sanchez in the summer, with the west Londoners being linked with a number of goalkeepers, and the Italian may now be regretting his decision not to bring in an upgrade.

As such, according to a report from The Express, Chelsea could now push to sign AC Milan’s Mike Maignan in the January transfer window, with a view to bringing him in on a free at the end of the season.

Maignan was known to be a target for the Blues in the summer, with Maresca said to be a fan, viewing the goalkeeper as an ideal fit for his style of play, and there are signs that a deal could be possible.

The Frenchman was persuaded to remain at the San Siro during the summer, but the Italian club have since made no progress in talks over a new deal, potentially giving Maresca’s side the opportunity to sign him on a free transfer.

"World-class" Maignan could be upgrade on Sanchez

There are indications the Milan shot-stopper could be an upgrade on Sanchez, given that he has averaged fewer goals against per 90 over the past year, while he is also impressive with the ball at his feet.

Related Chelsea now set to open talks to sign "baller", Maresca thinks he's ideal

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The 30-year-old has averaged 43.02 touches per 90 over the past year, compared to 40.04 from Chelsea’s current goalkeeper, which suggests the Milan captain is comfortable in possession of the ball.

Journalist Carlo Garganese has also been left impressed by the 34-time France international in the past, describing him as “world-class” after putting in a solid performance in the Milan derby.

Sanchez has made far too many mistakes over an extended time period, making three errors leading to goals in the Premier League last season, so it is no wonder Chelsea are looking at bringing in a replacement, and Maignan could be a fantastic option.

Left-arm spinner had retired last year citing racial discrimination

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2025

Hamza Tahir played 49 times for Scotland•Peter Della Penna

Cricket Scotland says it has reached an “amicable resolution” with its former player Hamza Tahir, who had alleged he was the victim of racial discrimination when announcing his retirement from international cricket last year.Tahir, a left-arm spinner who made a total of 49 appearances across ODIs and T20Is, announced in June 2024 that he would be pursuing an unfair dismissal case after losing his Cricket Scotland contract earlier that year.Speaking at the time at a press conference in Edinburgh, alongside another former Scotland player Majid Haq as well as anti-racism campaigners, Tahir claimed he had to “work twice as hard to be on the same level as others” within the international set-up, adding that “enough was enough”.Tahir’s retirement followed separate complaints by Majid and another former Scotland player Qasim Sheikh, whose allegations in 2022 prompted an independent review, Changing the Boundaries. This listed 448 examples of racism and discrimination within cricket in Scotland, while finding the governance and leadership of cricket in the country to be institutionally racist.The findings of that report, however, have since been queried, with only five incidents detailed within the report progressing to disciplinary measures.In a statement, Cricket Scotland acknowledged Tahir’s claims of unfair treatment, adding: “Both parties are pleased to confirm that a claim of unfair dismissal has now been brought to an amicable resolution.””In a demonstration of positive action, Cricket Scotland and Hamza Tahir have agreed to work together to show their collective commitment to improve player equality and ensure there is no place for discrimination in Scottish cricket.”There will be no further comment made by either party on this matter.”

Celtic supporters may not have been very pleased with how the summer transfer window ended, but there was plenty of promising work done by the club up to when they signed Kelechi Iheanacho.

Some fans decided to boycott the opening 12 minutes of the 2-1 win over Kilmarnock last weekend. Podcaster John Dykes claimed that it was partly down to the lack of quality recruitment work and the club’s failure to qualify for the league phase of the Champions League.

Despite the concerns of the fanbase, Celtic were still able to muster up three points in their Scottish Premiership clash, thanks to a 96th-minute penalty from one of their new signings, Iheanacho.

The Nigeria international, who joined on a free transfer the day after the summer window officially slammed shut, was the 11th first-team signing made after the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Brendan Rodgers and the recruitment team will be hoping that supporters will look at the window a little more favourably by the end of the season, if the players brought in kick on and deliver high-quality performances.

The concern, though, will be if they fail to really kick on and prove their worth on a consistent basis, as has been the case for winger Hyun-jun Yang.

Why Hyun-jun Yang is in an awkward position at Celtic

The South Korea international was signed from Gangwon FC for a fee of £2m in the summer of 2023 to bolster Rodgers’ options on both flanks in his first season back in Scotland.

Unfortunately, Yang has been unable to establish himself as a regular starter for the Scottish giants on the wing. He currently finds himself in an awkward position where he does not seem to be fully trusted by the manager.

In fact, the forward was reportedly close to a move to English Championship side Birmingham City on deadline day, only for the Blues to pull out of a deal because they were unwilling to wait for Celtic to finalise their own move for Sebastian Tounekti.

The Hoops, of course, signed Tounekti from Hammarby late on deadline day, but the timing of that move meant that they brought the Tunisia international in and Yang had to remain at Parkhead.

This has left the 23-year-old winger in a position where he knows that the club and Rodgers were willing to let him move on in the summer, yet he now has to stay until at least January.

Appearances

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2

Unused substitute

2

Goals

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Key passes per game

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Big chances created

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As you can see in the table above, Yang has already been an unused substitute in two of the opening five Premiership matches, failing to provide a goal or an assist in the three games he has featured in.

Ultimately, the South Korean attacker has never shown real consistency in his end product in the final third, with seven goals and nine assists in 71 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Yang has shown signs of improvement during his time at the club, progressing from one league goal in the 2023/24 campaign to five league goals last season. However, it has not been enough for him to establish himself as a star in Glasgow.

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It is incredibly early on in his Parkhead career, but summer signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha needs to ensure that he does not end up becoming the next Yang for Celtic on the wing.

Why Balikwisha could be the next Yang for Celtic

The Hoops swooped to sign the Belgian forward from Royal Antwerp for a fee of £5m during the summer transfer window to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Balikwisha, like Yang, is a versatile winger who can play on the left or the right flank. He also showed some promise in the final third with his performances for his former club.

The 24-year-old flanker scored four goals and created seven ‘big chances’ in 12 starts in the Pro League for Royal Antwerp in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he offered quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals in Belgium.

This is why Balikwisha, as Yang was when he arrived from Gangwon, is an exciting addition to the squad. However, he has yet to show any real drive at the top end of the pitch after two flat performances in the Premiership.

The right-footed winger has been thrown in at the deep end with starts against Rangers and Kilmarnock, playing on the left wing in the former and on the right in the latter, but failed to impress in either outing.

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Crosses completed

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1/2

As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha did not register a single shot on goal and only attempted one dribble, which he failed to complete, in over two hours of football in his first two appearances for the Scottish giants.

Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday has been unimpressed with the winger. The experienced Premiership player said: “I think Balikwisha has started really, really slowly. I’ve never seen a winger turn down one versus one opportunities so much.

“It was exactly what I seen against Rangers and I thought it was the exact same at Kilmarnock at the weekend. I think he’s too passive in terms of getting the ball in one v one situations, turning and passing it back.”

You could put it down to the fact that he is settling into life at Celtic and may have been nervous to really attack those two games, but fellow new signing Tounekti stepped in for his debut against Kilmarnock and delivered four chances created and five dribbles completed, per Sofascore.

As Halliday put it, Balikwisha was too passive in both games and that is a worrying sign because that has been one of Yang’s biggest problems during his time at Celtic, averaging just 0.7 completed dribbles and 0.4 shots on target per game in the Premiership last season, per Sofascore.

The South Korea international’s Parkhead career reached a point where the club were willing to let him join Birmingham, in part because he has failed to asert himself on the pitch to be a consistent performer in the final third.

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Hopefully, Balikwisha’s first two appearances for the Hoops are not a sign of things to come, because he will need to offer far more at the top end of the pitch week-in-week-out to avoid becoming the next Yang in Glasgow.

England fans furiously chanted at Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel during their 5-0 win over Latvia in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. The Three Lions booked their place at the World Cup next year with a thumping result in Riga. After missing the Wales friendly through an ankle injury, captain Harry Kane returned to the lineup with a bang as he scored a brace in a dominating performance.

Tuchel furious with Wembley support after Wales friendly

After their 3-0 win over neighbours Wales in the international friendly at home last week, Tuchel took aim at the 'silent' England fans at Wembley as he claimed that the home crowd could have done more to motivate his side. He told after the game: "We had one-and-a-half training days to prepare against a well-trained team and we did very, very well. We had an excellent first half, we were 3-0 up very quickly but it could have been four or five. It was very, very good. Then we couldn’t score the fourth one or the fifth one and the stadium was silent. Silent! We never got any energy back from the fans and I think the players delivered a lot to get more from the fans. “It was difficult to keep everything going in the second half but we did excellent and deserved to win. A step in the right direction. What more can you give in 20 minutes? We didn't let them escape. If you hear just Wales fans for half an hour, it's sad, because the team deserved more support today."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEngland fans chant back at Tuchel

Now it was the Three Lions fans' turn to give it back to their manager as a large group of English supporters turned up at the Daugava Stadium in Riga to support their team. As England kept scoring goals, the fans were heard chanting: "We'll sing when we want, we'll sing when we want, Thomas Tuchel, we'll sing when we want!" They also jokingly sang: "Are we loud enough for you?" The fans also came up with an X-rated chant, as they sang: "Our support is f*cking sh*t!"

Tuchel, though, was not bothered by the fans' chants aimed at him as he gave a thumbs-up to the visiting fans. After Anthony Gordon's opening goal in the 26th minute, a section of the supporters chanted: "1-0 to the library."

Kane makes England history

With the double against Latvia, a left-footed strike in the 44th minute and a penalty a few minutes later, helped Kane script another record for England as he went past Nat Lofthouse to become the first Three Lions star to score two or more goals in 13 international appearances. His total goals tally for England now stands at 76 in 113 matches. 

Kane was doubtful for the Latvia after he missed the friendly against Wales last week due to an ankle injury that he picked up during Bayern Munich's final clash before the international break against Eintracht Frankfurt. With Ollie Watkins ruled out with a freak injury before the qualifier, Tuchel was concerned over whom to field as the team's No.9. However, Kane fully recovered in time, featured in the starting and guided his team to a dominating win and secured a World Cup berth. 

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Getty Images SportEngland look a solid unit ahead of World Cup

Tuchel faced criticism at the time of announcing the squad for the October international break, as he overlooked several big names, including Manchester City star Phil Foden, loanee Jack Grealish and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham. However, despite missing some big names, England managed to score eight goals in the two matches they played this month.

With the likes of Eberechi Eze scoring a goal after coming as a second half substitute and players like Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen also able to emerge from the bench, Tuchel is spoilt for choice in the attacking third ahead of the World Cup. With their berth secured, the German coach could consider experimenting with his lineups in the final two group matches against Serbia and Albania in November. 

Planning ahead for 2026, Manchester United are now reportedly among the clubs leading the way in the race to sign a want-away star in a deal worth over £50m.

Man Utd's 2026 transfer targets

It’s no surprise that Man United are already thinking about 2026 targets. INEOS still have plenty to do before the Red Devils are an established top four team again and that starts with the next transfer window. Having already spent around £200m in the summer too, there’s little doubt that they’re willing to back Ruben Amorim.

Those at Old Trafford will be hoping to see Senne Lammens, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo all come good this season in what would hand Amorim a major boost. The Man United boss has already seen praise arrive for Mbeumo and will be desperate to see others find form to receive similar recognition.

Speaking about the former Brentford man, United legend Wayne Rooney said on his podcast, ‘The Wayne Show’: “He looks like the type of character who would be fine with it (going back to his old club).

“I think he’s been a real positive for Man United this season. I think his energy, his running off the ball, his commitment, he’s scored a couple of goals, he could have had more. So I’ve been really happy. I think he’s been, out of all the signings, the most positive one. And he looks like someone who will just take it in his stride.”

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It’s the type of signing that the Red Devils must aim for in 2026, with rumours already throwing up some interesting names. Following up from their summer spending, INEOS are already reportedly eyeing moves for Adam Wharton, Dusan Vlahovic and are among the leaders in the race to welcome a La Liga talent next year.

Man Utd one of leading clubs in Gallagher race

According to reports in Spain, Man United are one of the leading clubs in the race to sign Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid in 2026. The midfielder reportedly wants to leave the Spanish club in an attempt to secure his England World Cup spot and is valued at around £52m ahead of January.

Other Premier League clubs are reportedly interested in the midfielder, but it is United who have expressed interest at this stage, having had an offer rejected in the summer. Another former Chelsea player, the Red Devils will be hoping to secure a solution for their midfield problems.

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Tackles Won

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49

Progressive Carries

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16

Dubbed “intense” by Diego Simeone, Gallagher’s work in possession is particularly impressive compared to Ugarte. The England international would hand United the control that they’re looking for as a result and could also see Bruno Fernandes pushed back into one of the two advanced midfield roles.

When 2026 arrives, the Red Devils would be wise to pursue Gallagher in hope of finally stabilising what has been a struggling midfield for far too long at Old Trafford.

Amid growing speculation over whether India will play in this year’s Asia Cup, in the wake of tensions with Pakistan, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has downplayed reports that India were pulling out, insisting that the issue was yet to be “discussed”.India are due to host the six-team event in the T20 format but the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which runs the Asia Cup, has not yet announced the schedule or the venue. September has unofficially been pencilled in as the window.”The Asia Cup matter or any other ACC event issue has not come up for discussion at any level,” Saikia said in a statement on Monday. “… till now, BCCI has not even discussed or taken any such steps regarding ensuing ACC events, leave alone writing anything to the ACC. At this stage, our prime focus is on the ongoing IPL and subsequent England series, both men and women.”Related

• Women's Emerging Asia Cup postponed due to weather and health concerns in Sri Lanka

• Gambhir: India should not play Pakistan at all

Saikia said the BCCI had not communicated any decision to the ACC concerning India’s participation in the Asia Cup as well as the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in June.However, ESPNcricinfo has learned the women’s Emerging Asia Cup has been postponed though the reason could not be confirmed. The ACC has not yet made any formal announcement on the postponement.Speculation about India’s participation and the fate of this year’s event has arisen as tensions between India and Pakistan soared this month after the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The two countries engaged militarily briefly, temporarily halting both the IPL and PSL. Both leagues resumed on May 17 after the countries agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, though bilateral relations remain fraught.India head coach Gautam Gambhir recently said there should be “absolutely no” cricketing ties between India and Pakistan. Speaking in his personal capacity, Gambhir said: “Till all this [terrorism] doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan.”The BCCI has normally sought permission from the Indian government to play Pakistan in multinational events. In 2023, when Pakistan were the host of the Asia Cup, a precursor to the ODI World Cup, the BCCI said it did not have the Indian government’s permission to travel to Pakistan. Consequently, PCB adopted a hybrid model to conduct the tournament in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with the latter hosting all of India’s matches including the final. Earlier this year, India did not travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy for similar reasons, and played all their matches including the final in Dubai.India-Pakistan contests are among the most-watched cricket matches and play a significant role in the valuation of broadcast rights both for the ICC (at World Cups) and ACC (Asia Cup). Several editions of the Asia Cup have been hit by strained political ties between the countries, leading to withdrawals and the entire tournament being shelved in the past.

India head coach says his personal opinion is that even matches at neutral venues should stop after the Pahalgam terror attack

PTI06-May-2025

Gautam Gambhir: ‘My personal answer to this is absolutely no’•AFP/Getty Images

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has called for a complete halt to cricketing engagements with Pakistan, including at neutral venues, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.”My personal answer to this is absolutely no,” Gambhir, speaking at an event in Delhi on Tuesday, said when asked whether India should continue playing Pakistan in multi-team tournaments. “Till all this [terrorism] doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan.”Twenty-six people were killed in the terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir on April 22. Since then, the government of India has announced several measures against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the border crossing at Attari, and downgrading of diplomatic ties in view of cross-border links to the attack.India have not played a bilateral series against Pakistan since January 2013 and have only played them at multi-nation tournaments such as the Asia Cup and the ICC events. They most recently played each other at the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai, and could possibly face each other in the women’s ODI World Cup and men’s Asia Cup later this year, and the men’s T20 World Cup in 2026.”Ultimately, this is [the] government’s decision whether we play them or not,” Gambhir said. “I have said this before also, no cricket match or Bollywood or any other interaction is more important than the life of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens. Matches will keep happening, movies will be made, singers will continue to perform, but nothing comes close to losing a loved one in your family.”This is not up to me, it’s not in my jurisdiction, this is for BCCI and, more importantly, the government to decide whether we should play them or not,” Gambhir said. “Whatever decision they make, we should be absolutely fine with it and not politicise it.”‘A coach’s job isn’t selecting the team’Gambhir also said he would have no role in deciding whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are picked for the upcoming five-Test tour of England, which begins in June. Both batters had struggled for runs during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in December-January but played important roles in India winning the Champions Trophy earlier this year.”First things first, a coach’s job isn’t selecting the team. It is the job of selectors to select,” Gambhir said. “The coach only selects the XI who will play a match. Neither those who coached before me were selectors, nor am I a selector.”Till the time they [Kohli and Rohit] are performing, they should be a part of the team. When you start and when you end is your individual decision. No coach, no selector, no BCCI can tell you when you should call it quits. If you perform, then why 40, you can jolly well play till 45, who’s stopping you?”

The stadium is expected to host games during the 2026 Men’s U-19 World Cup and the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup

Firdose Moonda27-May-2025Namibia will host South Africa for a historic first meeting between the two sides to mark the official opening of their new ground in Windhoek. The one-off T20I will take place on October 11.Importantly, it will commemorate the opening of Cricket Namibia’s first official stadium – previously internationals took place at the Wanderers, also in Windhoek, which is a club ground. The new ground will host the matches during the 2026 Under-19 Men’s World Cup and the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup. Namibia is the co-host for the Under-19 World Cup with Zimbabwe and for the ODI World Cup with Zimbabwe and South Africa. The ground has been under construction since 2021 and will have a capacity of 7000. It is also the home of Namibia’s high-performance centre.”This truly is a memorable occasion,” Johann Muller, Cricket Namibia CEO, said in a statement. “The new ground has been a dream for the last four years and has finally materialised. A match against our neighbours, and one of the top cricketing countries in the world, is the perfect way to open this world-class facility.”Despite being neighbours, South Africa have never played an international against Namibia, at bilateral or tournament level, and the trip across the western border indicates the growth in relations in cricket on the continent. South Africa and Zimbabwe are both playing a significant role at the African Cricket Association and there are talks of increased fixtures, such as this one, to grow the game. South Africa will also travel to Zimbabwe for the first time in 11 years later this year to play two Tests and a T20I tri-series.”We are honoured to be part of this historic occasion,” Pholesti Moseki, CSA CEO, said. “Namibia are a competitive side, and this fixture reflects the growing strength of cricket on the continent. As a fellow African cricketing nation and the host of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, we are proud to support the official opening of this new cricket ground, which will be one of the host venues of the tournament.”By the time the match takes place, Namibia will have also competed in the Africa T20 World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, where there are two spots available for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Namibia have played in the last three T20 World Cups, and their highest profile win was over Sri Lanka in Geelong in 2022.