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England second-string squad returns to scene of 16-0 points whitewash earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2025

Paige Scholfield and Hollie Armitage are among the inclusions in England A’s tour of Australia•PA Photos/Getty Images

Paige Scholfield, the first name out of the hat in Wednesday’s Women’s Hundred draft, has been selected across formats for England A’s upcoming tour of Australia, as the women’s set-up looks to bounce back from a humiliating Ashes whitewash earlier this year.Scholfield, 29, was retained by her Hundred team, Oval Invincibles, on a £65,000 deal on Wednesday evening, after Birmingham Phoenix attempted to recruit her to Edgbaston for the 2025 competition. Now she is headed to Australia as part of a development squad featuring just four players who featured in the 16-0 points defeat in the senior tour in January.Scholfield herself would have been a fifth member of that party, but she suffered an ankle injury on England’s preceding tour of South Africa in November, which caused her to fly home before she could add to her current tally of three ODI and two T20I caps.Now she is joining Alice Capsey, Danielle Gibson, Bess Heath and Freya Kemp as the senior members of the England A party, which is due to play three T20Is, three ODIs and a one-off four-day game against Australia A from April 12-15, exactly mirroring the itinerary in which England were beaten in the Ashes. Capsey and Gibson are currently on duty at the WPL in India, and so will miss the T20I leg which begins at Sydney’s Hurstville Oval on March 26.Scholfield will be joined by players from the England Women Pace Programme, including her Surrey teammates Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Emma Jones (T20 and 50-over) and Alexa Stonehouse, who is selected across all formats. No captains have yet been named for the three formats.The majority of the group have been undergoing warm-weather training at a training camp in Abu Dhabi, and will depart for Sydney on March 17.Jon Lewis, England Women A head coach, said: “We are looking forward to testing ourselves against a national side with great depth. We are aware of the challenge ahead.”There has been some good work done by the players based in England and those who have been playing cricket over the winter around the world and this tour provides an opportunity for players to push for selection into the senior squad through strong performances against the Australians.”Jonathan Finch, Director of England Women’s Cricket, added: “We have a good mix of experience across the three squads with all players striving to perform and push for selection into the senior team. The experience they will gain through highly competitive matches within a multi-format schedule will be really exciting, and hopefully invaluable for them in accelerating their development. A tour to Australia is what so many young cricketers dream of, and we wish them well.”England Women A T20 squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A 50-over squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A four-day squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)

NGO’s letter to ICC also asks if it would be prepared to recognise the Afghanistan women’s national team in exile, allowing it to train, compete and receive ICC financial support

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-20252:01

Firooza Amiri: If Afghan women can play sports, they can study as well

Human Rights Watch has called on the ICC to suspend Afghanistan’s membership and ban the Taliban-run nation from competing in international cricket.The request came via an email addressed to ICC chair Jay Shah, dated February 3 and made public on March 7, with the subject line: “Suspending the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Implementing a Human Rights Policy”.Human Rights Watch describes itself as an independent, international, non-governmental organisation that conducts research and advocacy on human rights abuses by states and non-state actors around the world.”We are writing at this time to urge the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Taliban-run Afghanistan from ICC membership, and from participating in international cricket, until women and girls can once again participate in education and sport in the country,” the email said.Related

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Exiled Afg women players to men's team: 'Be the voice of the girls'

Melbourne: Afg women's match a big step on a path unknown

Shahidi bats for Afg women, but says it's something 'we can't control'

Rashid, Nabi plead for restoration of Afg women's right to education

“We also urge the ICC to implement a human rights policy based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”We note that you have pledged ‘to allocate more resources to women’s cricket’ during your tenure at the helm of global cricket and ‘champion the ICC’s mission further by allocating more resources and attention to women’s cricket’.”However, since retaking power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed a long and growing list of rules and policies that bars women and girls from exercising their fundamental rights, including to freedom of expression and movement, many forms of employment, and education beyond sixth grade. These affect virtually all their rights, including to life, livelihood, shelter, health care, food, and water.”The email went on to say that the ICC’s anti-discrimination policy for international cricket states that it is committed to ensuring that wherever cricket is played, it can be enjoyed by all participants regardless of their respective backgrounds. It pointed out that the policy also strives to ensure all participants can enjoy sport without being subjected to intimidating conduct on the basis of – among other factors – sex, gender, marital status and/or maternity status.The email also argued that while payments to Afghanistan’s Women’s team were suspended in 2021, the country’s men’s team continues to receive financial and logistical support, apparently in contravention of the ICC’s own anti-discrimination rules.Nahida Sapan and Firooza Amiri speak to the media ahead of the Cricket Without Borders match in Melbourne in January•Getty Images”By not allowing women and girls to play cricket, and not allowing a national team for women and girls to compete internationally, the Afghanistan Cricket Board is failing to abide by this Anti-Discrimination Policy,” Human Rights Watch said.”We note that cricket has been included as a sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, and yet the Taliban’s ban on women and girls participating in the sport is a severe violation of the Olympic Charter’s guarantee that ‘the practice of sport is a human right’.”Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, women have been forced to adhere to an increasingly restrictive range of laws barring them from most areas of public life, including sport. Shortly before that, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had agreed to contract 25 women’s players, most of whom now live in exile in Australia.In July last year, former members of the Afghanistan women’s national team, no longer recognised as such by the country’s Taliban rulers, wrote to the ICC asking to be recognised as a refugee team.Several of those players united in an Afghanistan Women’s XI for an exhibition match against a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval in January.A protest outside Lord’s on the eve of the Afghanistan-England Champions Trophy match in Lahore in February•PA Photos/Getty ImagesAround that time, the ECB came under pressure from a group of British MPs to boycott their recent Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan – who knocked England out of the competition – while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the ICC to “deliver on their own rules”.England and Australia have opted not to play Afghanistan in bilateral games, while agreeing to face them at ICC events, with ECB chief executive Richard Gould calling for a “co-ordinated, ICC-led, response” rather than unilateral action from individual countries.The issues of banning or boycotting the men’s team is complex, with some of the formerly contracted Afghanistan women’s players telling ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast that they didn’t want to see their male counterparts prevented from playing because they offered hope, but they did want them to do more for the women and girls who were being denied the same rights.Afghanistan fans settle down to watch their team play England in Lahore•Getty ImagesHuman Rights Watch asked for a timely response from the ICC to a number of questions, including what steps the governing body is taking towards developing a human rights policy, why it hasn’t suspended the ACB from playing international cricket until women and girls have access to education and sport and, would it be prepared to recognise the Afghanistan women’s national team in exile, allowing it to train, compete and receive ICC financial support.It also asks what steps the ICC has taken or plans to take to “pressure the Afghanistan Cricket Board to include women and girl players in their competitions” and what funding or other support has been or will be provided to the Afghanistan Cricket Board.”The International Cricket Council should follow in the steps of other sport governing bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee, by calling on the Taliban to include Afghan women and girls in sport, and committing to a human rights frame work,” the email concluded.The ICC has been contacted for comment.

On Thursday, that saw the final round of group fixtures at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), as many as 17 teams were in contention for the eight remaining knockouts spots. At the end of an engaging day’s play, this much was certain: Punjab won’t be defending their title this season despite Abhishek Sharma’s heroics, Mohammed Shami will have an opportunity to garner more match time with Bengal and Ajinkya Rahane’s scintillating form for Mumbai may yet keep him in conversations around captaincy at Kolkata Knight Riders. Here are the highlights from Thursday:

Bhuvneshwar the hat-trick hero as UP enter knockouts

Signed for INR 10.75 crore by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved he is not a spent force just yet. His hat-trick against Jharkhand in a match-winning effort helped Uttar Pradesh seal a pre-quarterfinals berth, where they will take on Andhra on Monday.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy knockouts:

• 1st Pre-quarterfinal: Bengal vs Chandigarh (December 9)

• 2nd Pre-quarterfinal: Andhra v UP(December 9)

• 1st Quarter-final: Baroda vs winner of 1st PQF (Dec 11)

• 2nd Quarter-final: Delhi vs winner of 2nd PQF (Dec 11)

• 3rd Quarter-final: MP vs Saurashtra (Dec 11)

• 4th Quarter-final: Mumbai vs Vidarbha (Dec 11)

Bhuvneshwar, captaining UP, recorded figures of 4-1-6-3 – all his wickets coming in his final over – as Jharkhand fell short by 10 runs chasing 161. Among the wickets for Bhuvneshwar was the big-hitting Robin Minz. That Jharkhand got that close was because of allrounder Anukul Roy, who smashed a 44-ball 91 at No. 5.Earlier in the tournament, Bhuvneshwar upstaged Jasprit Bumrah to become the first Indian seamer to get 300 T20 wickets. Among Indians, only Yuzvendra Chahal (364), Piyush Chawla (319) and R Ashwin (310) have more T20 wickets than Bhuvneshwar (308).

Shami continues pain-free return

Shami picked up three wickets in another sure shot sign of him slowly returning to full match fitness, as Bengal stormed into the pre-quarterfinals where they will take on Chandigarh.Playing his seventh straight game of the competition, Shami picked up 3 for 26 as Bengal restricted Rajasthan to153 for 9, before half-centuries from Abishek Porel and Sudip Gharami helped seal a seven-wicket win.Related

• Abhishek hits 28-ball century, the joint second-fastest in T20s

• Baroda's 349 for 5 breaks world record for highest T20 total

Shami has so far bowled his full quota of overs (27.3 out of a possible 28) in the seven games, while picking up eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.67. Prior to SMAT, Shami had returned a match haul of seven wickets against Madhya Pradesh in the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy last month, his first competitive outing since last year’s World Cup final.Bengal will take on Chandigarh in the pre-quarterfinal on Monday.

Rahane 95 helps Mumbai record highest SMAT chase

In a must-win, Mumbai eclipsed their previous highest chase of 227 to beat Andhra and set up a quarter-final on Wednesday against Vidarbha, the team they beat in last season’s Ranji final. Rahane’s 95 off just 54 balls, with nine fours and four sixes, kept Mumbai in the chase right until the end, before Suryansh Shedge finished it off in a blaze.Set an imposing 230, thanks to KS Bharat’s unbeaten 53-ball 93, Mumbai were fuelled by a rollicking opening stand of 51 in just four overs between Rahane and Prithvi Shaw, who made a 15-ball 34. Then they hit choppy waters with Shreyas Iyer (25) and Suryakumar Yadav (4) falling in quick succession.Rahane then found support from Shivam Dube, with whom he put on 54 in just 31 balls; Dube’s contribution to the partnership an 18-ball 34. At one stage, Mumbai needed 26 off 10, and Shedge, on 2 off 2 at that point, hit two fours and three sixes to finish on an unbeaten eight-ball 30 as Mumbai won with three balls to spare.File photo: Ajinkya Rahane continued his fine form in T20s•AFP/Getty Images

A win would have helped Andhra qualify directly for the quarter-finals as they would have topped the table. They will now have to play the pre-quarters because Mumbai and Andhra finished on the same points and Mumbai were the table-toppers because of their head-to-head against Andhra earlier in the league stage. Mumbai’s win also knocked Kerala out of the competition.

Gujarat knocked out despite six wins in seven

Net run rate cruelly led to Gujarat’s group-stage exit as they lost out to Saurashtra and Baroda, who set the record for the highest T20 score, against Sikkim.When Gujarat blasted 251 for 5 batting first against Karnataka, thanks to opener Aarya Desai’s 73 off 40 and Axar Patel’s unbeaten 20-ball 56, there was no inkling of the heartbreak that was to follow. They managed to restrict Karnataka to 203, with Axar picking 2 for 22 off four overs in their 48-run win.However, Saurashtra managed to edge out Gujarat by chasing down their 137 target against Tripura in just 13.3 overs. In the end, Baroda, Saurashtra and Gujarat all finished on 24 points and Gujarat lost out on a knockout berth because their NRR was lower than Saurashtra’s by 0.335.

Tottenham Hotspur are now in talks over a move to sign a £60m+ defender who has been likened to Virgil Van Dijk.

Tottenham kick off pre-season with win at Reading

Spurs began their preparations for the 2025/26 Premier League season on Saturday afternoon, with new manager Thomas Frank seeing his side in action for the first time against League One side Reading.

Two second-half goals in the space of four minutes from Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic were enough to seal an opening pre-season victory for Spurs and Frank.

It was the first time supports got to see teenage defender Vuskovic in action, and he impressed with a goal, assist and clean sheet, saying after the game: “Everything is perfect. The club is behind me. The players, the staff, the coach, everyone is helping me a lot and I’m really happy.”

Meanwhile, Frank also liked what he saw from the Croatian teenager, adding: “Luka deserves the praise as well. A great header. Showed his physicality and his composure on the ball. He’s not getting stressed when opponents get close. And what a strike.”

Vuskovic could well rival the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin for a spot in the squad over the coming months, however, Spurs are also looking at another defensive addition.

Frank's own Xavi Simons: Spurs hugely keen on signing "magic" £50m star

Tottenham are looking to sign an attacking midfielder in the summer transfer market.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 20, 2025

Reports have linked Tottenham with a move to sign Bournemouth centre-back Illia Zabarnyi, with claims suggesting Spurs and Daniel Levy are ready to pay more than £60m for the Ukraine international.

Tottenham open talks for £60m+ Bournemouth star Zabarnyi

According to information from The Boot Room, Tottenham have been in contact with Bournemouth over a deal for Zabarnyi.

However, the report says Spurs have a difficult job on their hands trying to convince the defender of a move to north London, as he has already agreed terms in principle with Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

Now, Caught Offside have revealed that Tottenham have opened talks over a deal for Zabarnyi, with Spurs “willing to pay the full asking price” of around €70m, something which PSG aren’t prepared to do at this moment in time.

Labelled a “dominant” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Zabarnyi is still just 22 years of age and appears to be a star in the making.

Defenders Zabarnyi has been compared to	Club
Virgil van Dijk	Liverpool
Levi Colwill	Chelsea
Antonio Rudiger	Real Madrid
Jules Kounde	Barcelona
Gleison Bremer	Juventus

As can be seen via Football Transfers, the Bournemouth star is already being likened to Liverpool captain Van Dijk and numerous other impressive centre-backs following his eye-catching two-and-a-half-year spell with the Cherries.

Spurs may have to look elsewhere for their defensive addition, though, or place more trust in Vuskovic with the games set to come thick and fast in 25/26.

Newcastle United are believed to be “gathering information” regarding a special young player, as they look to beat other top clubs to his signature this summer.

Isak set for showdown talks with Newcastle

The Magpies’ summer has been rocked by Alexander Isak wanting to leave the club, with the Swede strongly linked with a move to Premier League champions Liverpool. While no bid has been tabled for the 25-year-old yet, it looks as though one could be imminent this week, should the Newcastle star tell the owners that he wants to depart in face-to-face talks.

Should Isak move on from the Magpies this summer, it would be bitterly disappointing for anyone associated with the club, but they could at least receive a British record transfer fee for his services.

If that happens, an elite striker needs to come in as a direct replacement for the Sweden international, but also other top players across several areas of the pitch.

Newcastle "gathering information" on Italian defender

According to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are “gathering information” on Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni, seeing him as a top-quality prospect to bring in this summer.

Liverpool, Tottenham and Inter Milan are also said to be in the mix to sign the 18-year-old, and he is keen on the idea of playing in the Champions League, although the press in Italy believe he will reject the likes of Liverpool in favour of a move to Inter.

Given his age, Leoni wouldn’t arrive at Newcastle as an immediate starter, but the strides he has already made in his career suggests it may not be long until that is the case.

The Italian made 14 starts in Serie A last season, showing that he is already capable of looking at home in one of Europe’s top five leagues, and scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a “complete” player.

Newcastle have to be targeting younger centre-back moving forward, with the current ranks both ageing and injury-prone, and Leoni looks like a perfect option to come in.

Appearances

17

Starts

14

Minutes played

1204

Clearances per game

3.6

Aerial duel wins per game

1.0

Interceptions per game

0.9

Pass completion rate

88.7%

Goals

1

Assists

0

He could arrive as a squad player to begin with, learning from more senior colleagues, before maturing into a key starter for Eddie Howe, becoming a genuinely top-class defender if he reaches his potential.

أكد أوريلين تشواميني، نجم نادي ريال مدريد، على صعوبة مواجهة فريقه يوم غدًا الثلاثاء أمام أوليمبيك مارسيليا، والتي ستكون ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ريال مدريد يستضيف مارسيليا مساء يوم غدًا الثلاثاء، على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو، ضمن الجولة الأولى من دوري أبطال أوروبا مرحلة الدوري المعروفة بدور المجموعات.

طالع.. تقارير: محمد صلاح يعود لطاولة ريال مدريد وسط غموض موقفه في ليفربول

وقال تشواميني خلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص باللقاء: “نعلم أنها ستكون مباراة صعبة ضد خصم قوي، علينا أن نلعب بمستوانا للفوز بالمباراة”.

وأضاف تشواميني في حديثه: “مارسيليا فريق كبير في الدوري الفرنسي، أتوقع مباراة صعبة في دوري أبطال أوروبا مع فرق قوية، لا أعرف إن كان جميع الإسبان يعرفون أولمبيك مارسيليا، لكنه فريق مشهور جدًا في فرنسا، طلب ​​مني الكثيرون تذاكر لحضور المباراة غدًا، بصفتي فرنسيًا ومشجعًا لريال مدريد، أتطلع بشدة لهذه البطولة”.

وعن كيليان مبابي أوضح: ”الحقيقة هي أن كيليان سجل بالفعل عددًا كبيرًا من الأهداف العام الماضي ويواصل ذلك هذا الموسم، كفريق لقد تحسنا ويمكننا الفوز بالمباريات، كيليان يلعب بمستوى مذهل كما يفعل كل موسم، معه لدينا فرصة أفضل للفوز”.

وعن هوس مبابي للفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا أردف تشواميني: “نعلم أنه لم يتمكن من الفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا بعد وهو هدف للنادي، كيليان يريد الفوز دائمًا، وسنحاول جميعًا تحقيق ذلك معًا، أولًا هناك مباراة الغد ويجب أن نكون مستعدين بدنيًا وذهنيًا”.

وعن ذكرياته ضد مارسيليا عندما كان لاعبًا مع موناكو، تابع: ”أتذكر تلك المباريات التي كان عليك فيها التسجيل وأنا مع موناكو في فيلودروم، الفريق قوي جدًا، الأجواء مختلفة ونعلم أنه يجب علينا تقديم مباراة جيدة جدًا للفوز”.

وعن وصوله إلى 150 مباراة مع ريال مدريد قال تشواميني: “إنه حلم، أحاول الاستمتاع بكل شيء كلاعب في ريال مدريد وآمل أن ألعب المزيد من المباريات، وأن أفوز بالألقاب، وأن أستمتع بكل موسم هنا”.

وأضاف: ”عندما تلعب مع ريال مدريد نكون تحت ضغط دائم، لا داعي للمزيد، علينا الفوز بكل لقب في كل موسم وسنبذل قصارى جهدنا بالتأكيد، ونسعى للفوز بالألقاب، في العام الماضي، لم نفز بالكثير وآمل أن نفوز بالمزيد هذا العام”.

وأوضح عن الفارق بين كارلو أنشيلوتي وتشابي ألونسو: “لا أنكر أننا نتدرب ضد الخصوم، ولكن هناك تغييرات ومنهجيات لعب مختلفة. هناك لاعبون غيروا مراكزهم، ​​أعرف مارسيليا وسيشكلون لنا مشاكل، إنهم لاعبون موهوبون للغاية وعلينا أن نثبت أنهم فريق قوي”.

وأردف: “مع المدرب تشابي منذ البداية، فزنا بالمباريات وأعتقد أننا تحسنا كفريق وكأفراد، أعتقد أن الجميع يشعر بالارتياح، أحاول اللعب بمستواي ومساعدة فريقي قدر الإمكان، نريد الفوز بكل شيء هذا الموسم وإذا لعبنا بمستوانا، فلدينا فرصة جيدة لتحقيق ذلك”.

وعن رأي جمهور فرنسا في تشواميني كلاعب تابع: “لا أعتقد أنهم يقللون من شأني، وظيفتي هي اللعب للفوز بالمباريات والألقاب، ربما هناك من لا يحبذ قيامي بعملي كما ينبغي، الأهم أن يكون زملائي ومدربي وناديي فخورين بي ولا أفكر في أي شيء آخر”.

وعن تحسن ريال مدريد دفاعيًأ هذا الموسم، واصل: “فزنا بالكثير مع كارلو، إنه من أفضل المدربين في التاريخ، يطلب منا تشابي القيام بأشياء مختلفة ولديه منهجية مختلفة، نحن نحسن أداءنا في كل مباراة ونسعى لتحقيق ما يريده، علينا أن نستمر على هذا المنوال للفوز بالمباريات”.

وعن قرارات التحكيم، استكمل: “يحاولون بذل قصارى جهدهم في كل مباراة، لكنهم يرتكبون أخطاءً مثلنا، الأهم هو الفوز وقد فعلنا ذلك، لا شيء يقال عن الحكام والجميع رأى ما حدث. علينا أن نتطلع إلى الأمام”.

وعن إمكانية إنهاء يال مدريد دور المجموعات من دوري الأبطال في المراكز الثمانية الأولى اختتم تشواميني: ”إذا فزنا بجميع المباريات، سنكون في الصدارة، سنرى ما سيحدث، الأهم هو مباراة الغد وآمل أن نبدأ البطولة بأفضل طريقة ممكنة”.

Afghanistan’s win over Australia means both teams stand an equal chance of making it to the final four

S Rajesh23-Jun-2024If Australia and Afghanistan winThree teams will finish on four points. If Australia win by a run, Afghanistan will need a 36-run margin against Bangladesh to move ahead of Australia on net run rate. If Australia win a run-chase off the last ball, Afghanistan will have to win their game in 15.4 overs or sooner (assuming first-innings scores of 160).Related

Afghanistan better placed than Bangladesh in dash for last semi-final spot

Marsh confident Australia will be 'up and about' for India challenge after Afghanistan loss

Hardik serves reminder of his power and excitement with the bat

Naib after historic win: 'Thank god we at last beat Australia'

Stats – Afghanistan's maiden win against Australia in any format

India are sitting pretty with an NRR of 2.425. For them to get knocked out, both Australia and Afghanistan will have to win by big margins. Australia will need to beat India by 41 runs to go past them on run rate, while Afghanistan will have to beat Bangladesh by at least 83 runs.If India and Bangladesh winIndia will top the group with six points, while the other three teams will be tied on two each. In that case, NRR will decide the second team from the group. Australia, with a NRR of 0.223, are currently best placed among the three teams: even if Afghanistan lose by just one run, Australia will need to lose by 31 for their run rate to slip below that of Afghanistan.Bangladesh will need to win by 31 runs for their NRR to sneak ahead of Afghanistan’s, but they will also need Australia to lose by 55 runs, to finish second in the group.If Australia and Bangladesh winIndia and Australia will qualify for the semi-finals with four points, while Afghanistan and Bangladesh will finish on two.If India and Afghanistan winIndia and Afghanistan will qualify for the semi-finals with six and four points.

Every year, football’s elite gather in Paris to determine the winner of the Ballon d’Or.

Well, perhaps not if your name is Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian famously snubbed the awards evening in 2024 when he found out he’d been outvoted for the major accolade by Manchester City’s midfield sensation Rodri.

It was a landmark year for the Spaniard, who won the Premier League with City and also won the European Championships after defeating England in the final.

Having suffered a terrible ACL injury towards the end of the year, Rodri was not in the conversation to win the award again in 2025.

The last 10 Ballon d’Or winners

Year

Player

Club

2014

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid

2015

Lionel Messi

Barcelona

2016

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid

2017

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid

2018

Luka Modric

Real Madrid

2019

Lionel Messi

Barcelona

2021

Lionel Messi

PSG

2022

Karim Benzema

Real Madrid

2023

Lionel Messi

PSG/Inter Miami

2024

Rodri

Manchester City

2025

Ousmane Dembele

PSG

2020 award not given due to Covid-19

Instead, it was PSG’s Ousmane Dembele who reigned supreme, having starred as the Parisiens finally won the Champions League in 2024/25.

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What made Dembele’s triumph all the more remarkable was the fact that he’d never actually been dominated for the award before.

He beat off some stiff competition, including Lamine Yamal, but what does the future have in store for the Spaniard? Well, with the help of Grok, the next ten winners of the Ballon d’Or have been predicted.

1 2026: A first crown for France's best Kylian Mbappe

With Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi no longer the players they once were, it was always predicted that Kylian Mbappe would rise to the top.

A victory in 2026 would be a long time coming for Madrid’s latest Galactico but it would be an award well deserved. There’s a World Cup in 2026, too. Perhaps he’s just led France to a second triumph in three attempts?

2 2027: The wonderkid triumphs for the first time Lamine Yamal

One of the favourites for 2025, Yamal finally gets the recognition on a global stage that he deserves in two years time. At the age of 17, he’s already won the Kopa Trophy for the best U21 player, and it feels only a matter of time before he’s officially crowned the best player in the world.

Cole Palmer already thinks he is, and with numbers like he’s achieved in 2024/25, scoring 18 and assisting 26, anything is possible. He is a generational talent, the rightful heir to Lionel Messi’s throne.

Lamine Yamal in 2024/25

Games

55

Goals

18

Assists

25

Stats via Transfermarkt.

3 2028: A victory for the Premier League Erling Haaland

Like Mbappe, Haaland has been tripped as a future Ballon d’Or winner for a while now but AI thinks we’ll have to wait another three years before seeing Manchester City’s goal machine given the gong.

Given the length of his contract, he’s set to stay in the Premier League for a long time and is likely to continue banging in the goals on a domestic and continental level. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he is the definitive best number 9 of all time once he hangs up his boots.

4 2029: Messi 2.0 does it again Lamine Yamal

We told you he was generational. Two years on from his first success, Yamal is set to be handed his second Ballon d’Or, truly following in the footsteps of the great Messi.

At this point in his career, he’ll still only be 22 years of age. His potential is utterly frightening.

5 2030: Another win for Real Madrid Vinicius Jr

Six years on from what he felt was a cruel loss at the hands of Rodri, Brazil’s heir to Neymar and Real Madrid’s heir to CR7, Vini Jr, will finally get his hands on football’s most prestigious individual award.

Although aged 30, AI thinks he’ll still be going strong for Real Madrid, and with it being a World Cup year, maybe, just maybe, Brazil have got their hands on the trophy again.

Vini Jr in 2024/25

Games

51

Goals

20

Assists

17

Stats via Transfermarkt.

6 2031: Another Barca great does it Pedri

Every player on this list so far has been a forward but Barcelona star Pedri is set to topple the Yamal dominance by winning the award himself, following in the footsteps of the amazing Luka Modric and Rodri, the last midfielders to win the award.

The Spaniard is only 22 at the time of writing but he had a captivating season for Barca as they reached the Champions League final and won LaLiga. He’s played 59 times in 2024/25, scoring six goals and assisting eight. If he does indeed win the Ballon d’Or in 2031, his longevity certainly will have been Modric-esque.

7 2032: Liverpool's new signing takes it home Florian Wirtz

On the cusp of signing for Liverpool, who knows where Florian Wirtz will be playing in seven years time but AI seems to reckon that after securing a transfer to a Champions League giant and putting in strong showings for Germany, he’ll be the best player in the world.

Well, if it’s with the Reds, it would be their first Ballon d’Or winner since a certain Michael Owen back in 2001.

Wirtz is certainly one of the finest playmakers in the world already, contributing to 31 goals (16 goals, 15 assists) in the 2024/25 season when he was still with Bayer Leverkusen.

8 2033: More success for Germany Jamal Musiala

Back-to-back success for Germany as Jamal Musiala picks up his first crown in 2033. This could be the start of a newfound dominance for Die Mannschaft, who with Musiala and Wirtz in tow, may well have won the 2032 European Championships.

AI is backing the attacking midfielder to trump everyone else due to Bayern Munich’s dominance, international accolades and consistent form.

9 2034: A third major honour awaits Lamine Yamal

Rounding things off is a third triumph for one of the best players this generation has seen; Yamal.

In 2034, he’s be 27 and at the peak of his career with AI predicting him to cement his legacy as a generational talent. If he isn’t already, he’s now a truly household name, one of the best players we’ve ever seen in the game and right up there with Messi.

Only two players, Messi and Ronaldo, have won it more than three times, while Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten are the only other players to have all taken it home on three occasions.

10 2035: Brazilian follows in the footsteps of Vini Jr Endrick

While Yamal will no doubt be in the conversation again after winning it for a third time, his reign is brought to a halt by another of LaLiga’s top wonderkids at the moment, Endrick.

AI predicts that the Brazilian striker will become a powerhouse over the next decade, potentially winning the World Cup 2034 Golden Ball before cementing himself as the best striker in the world in ten years’ time. Grok reckons that the forward’s physicality and finishing ability will give him the edge over Yamal at this point.

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With Mohamed Salah’s new deal confirmed last week and Virgil van Dijk’s now announced as well, Liverpool have also agreed a fresh contract with another player on improved terms.

Liverpool confirm Van Dijk deal ahead of Premier League title triumph

No matter how much Arne Slot’s side pushed on towards the Premier League title this season, a contract cloud threatened to rain down on an otherwise excellent season. That cloud, with just two wins standing between the Reds and their English crown, is set to clear at long last, however – Salah’s new two-year deal has already been announced.

The Egyptian King was pictured atop his Anfield throne where he is set to stay. Now, Van Dijk is set to follow and signal a major sigh of relief around the red half of Merseyside.

After putting pen to paper on a new deal, Salah expressed his delight – telling reporters: “Of course I’m very excited – we have a great team now. Before we also had a great team.

“But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football. I have played eight years here, hopefully it’s going to be 10. I’m enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I have had the best years of my career here.”

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Van Dijk only reciprocated that delight, saying on Thursday: “It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool.”

That said, even after Van Dijk and Salah, the Liverpool contract news is seemingly not done there amid reports that another player has put pen to paper on new and improved Anfield terms.

Vitezslav Jaros agrees new Liverpool contract

According to InFotbal.cz, as relayed by Sports Witness, Vitezslav Jaros has now agreed a new Liverpool contract on improved terms, committing his future to the club alongside Van Dijk and Salah.

Whilst the goalkeeper remains behind Alisson Becker and Caoimhin Kelleher in the pecking order in what will likely remain the case when Giorgi Mamardashvili arrives, Jaros is set to stay put at Anfield before potentially heading out on loan this summer.

Still just 23 years old, the Czech Republic shot-stopper has enjoyed spells at Stockport and Sturm Graz in recent years and even made a shock Premier League debut earlier this season when he replaced the injured Alisson 11 minutes from time in Liverpool’s 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace in October. In the same week, Jaros then went on to start in a 3-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup.

So, whilst his role may not be a prominent one, Jaros has still had his moments for Liverpool this season and he will be hoping to see similar opportunities fall his way in years to come.

Celtic are pushing on with their hunt for another domestic treble, but they will also be planning ahead for the summer window to navigate potential incomings and departures.

Celtic expecting movement in both directions this summer

The Bhoys only require three more victories at a maximum to guarantee a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title and travel to St Johnstone this weekend hoping to hasten the process ahead off taking on Kilmarnock next Saturday.

Brendan Rodgers could also secure the Scottish Cup should he navigate past the Perthshire side at Hampden later in the month followed by either Hearts or Aberdeen in the final. Still, the Irishman will have one eye on a summer transfer window that is set to produce incomings and outgoings at Parkhead.

Notably, Kieran Tierney will complete an emotional return to Celtic on a free transfer once his contract at Arsenal officially expires. Expected to be joined by plenty of new faces, the Scotland international is likely to become the preferred choice at left-back ahead of next season’s Champions League qualifiers.

Honing in on the engine room, the Hoops also have Augsburg midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj on their radar and the Kosovo international may be attainable for a fee between £3 million and £3.5 million.

Celtic’s upcoming fixtures as run-in begins for Brendan Rodgers

St Johnstone (A)

Scottish Premiership

Kilmarnock (H)

Scottish Premiership

St Johnstone

Scottish Cup semi-final

Optimism is high in Glasgow’s east end over new signings, though several key stars may be linked with moves elsewhere following an excellent campaign for all involved at Parkhead. Reo Hatate, Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda are all players Rodgers will be desperate to keep hold of heading into 2025/26.

Nevertheless, the former Liverpool boss may be forced to part ways with one of his established core in the off-season, per recent developments.

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According to The Daily Record, Dinamo Zagreb have put forward a contract offer to Celtic star Greg Taylor that is deemed to be a ‘significant increase’ on his current £15,000 weekly pay packet at Parkhead.

The Scotland international has also attracted interest from Major League Soccer, which isn’t dead in the water, but a switch Croatia’s reigning champions appears to be his likeliest port of call. Rodgers previously emboldened him to extend his time at the club, though has now publicly conceded defeat on that front.

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Taylor has gone on to become a valiant servant for Celtic since arriving from Kilmarnock back in 2019, registering nine goals and 32 assists in 208 appearances across all competitions.

Playing his part in the Bhoys claiming ten trophies, the Greenock-born man has earned respect from his peers north of the border after seeing off the likes of Boli Bolingoli, Diego Laxalt and Alexandro Bernabei for the first-choice left-back slot in Glasgow.

However, all good things come to an end, and it appears that Tierney’s arrival from Arsenal has prompted Taylor to look elsewhere as he approaches the prime of his career.