Hugo Ekitike has revealed the inner workings of his relationship with Liverpool boss Arne Slot, admitting that the Dutchman's high standards have left him "p*ssed off" at times. The 23-year-old made the comments in a sit-down interview ahead of the Reds' marquee clash with Manchester City, where he also shot down suggestions that he and Aleksander Isak cannot play together in the same team.

• Ekitike reveals Slot's demanding style

  Ekitike has been a resounding success on Merseyside since making the switch from Eintracht Frankfurt for a fee of £79m in the summer, however his time with the club has not been without some friction, as he readily admits.

  The French striker was speaking with Daily Mail Sport, when he revealed that Slot's demands have annoyed him at times. The Reds' boss has demanded more work from Ekitike without the ball, while he has also publicly criticised the ex-PSG man for his red card against Southampton in September. Ektike scored the winning goal against the Championship side in the third round of the Carabao Cup, and was shown a second yellow card for removing his shirt during wild celebrations. 

  Despite those bumps in their working relationship, Ekitike views the Dutchman's pressure as a positive sign going forward. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ekitike views Slot's demands as a positive

  Discussing Slot's high demands, Ekitike said: "As a player, sometimes you're p***ed (off), it's annoying.

  "I know he wants the best for me and he wants the best for the team. I would say he's on my back, but (it's) not a bad thing. He just wants to help me, so I don't take that badly. He wants me to give more and more.

  "Sometimes you say that a coach is on your back. Maybe sometimes you feel like it's a little bit too much and you want to complain, it's a good thing because I think if a coach doesn't like you, he will not speak to you or not try to get the best of you. I take it in a good way.

  "On a certain day, obviously when I go 'it's a little bit annoying' but when I look back and watch the discussion we have, it's only good things and it's only for me to improve."

  When pushed for the specific demands his manager has put on him, Ekitike replied: "To keep my shirt on! It was more about workrate without the ball. It was mostly about that, to be more involved and to work more for the team, which I'm trying to do. We'll get there – it's mostly about working without the ball."

• Can Ekitike and Isak coexist in Slot's side?

  Ekitike's fast start to life in England was waylaid by the addition of Isak. The Swede completed his £125m from Newcastle later in the window, and his proven Premier League pedigree and high price tag meant that Ekitike was temporarily dropped to the bench. 

  The pair have started in tandem just once so far for Liverpool, a 5-1 demolition of the Frenchman's former club Eintracht Frankfurt. That experiment was cut short before it could really get going, with Isak picking up a groin injury in the first half of that tie that has sidelined him for the past three weeks. Despite their similarities, Ekitike sees no reason why the two cannot play together going forward. 

  "I think I'm able to play with any players and we can definitely play together," Ekitike insisted. 

  "I think we only played once in one half, so obviously we can't know yet. He's a good player and I'm not worried about good players because. intime they improve and learn how to find connections and links.

  "I'm definitely sure that not only him, but all the players in the offensive line, I know we can all play together. Obviously not playing on the pitch all together at the same time, but I can be on the pitch with all of them and just enjoy playing good football."

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  Ekitike given chance to shine against City

  Ekitike's thoughts on a burgeoning relationship with Isak will be of little consequence on Sunday, as the Swede will likely be unable to feature from the off against City due to injury. 

  The Frenchman, who also revealed he models his game on the trio of famous stars he played alongside in Paris, will have to channel his frustrations from his manager's critiques in a positive fashion as he will likely lead the line by himself against Pep Guardiola's side. 

New Zealand captain Tom Latham has been ruled out of the first Test against Zimbabwe, starting on July 30 in Bulawayo, with a shoulder injury. In his absence, New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner will lead the side.Latham suffered the injury while fielding during a Vitality Blast game for Birmingham Bears earlier this month and did not recover in time for the first Test. According to an NZC release, he will remain with the squad and hope to be fit for the second Test starting August 7.”It’s hugely disappointing for Tom to be missing the first Test, as captain but also as an integral part of the team,” head coach Rob Walter said.Related

• Smith ruled out of second Zimbabwe Test, Foulkes called up as replacement

• NZ back in whites sans stars, Zimbabwe seek redemption

• Ben Curran and Sikandar Raza in Zimbabwe squad for NZ Tests

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• From net bowler to 'X-factor' – Matt Fisher on the cusp of a potential Test debut

“It’s never great when you lose your captain, who’s a world-class opening batter and a great team man, but that said we’re going to work really hard to have him available for the second Test. “We’ll continue to assess and see whether a replacement player is necessary, but at this stage we are hopeful that he’ll recover in time.”Santner, who’s played 30 Tests, will be leading New Zealand in the format for the first time. New Zealand will go into the Tests fresh off a T20I tri-series win in Harare where they remained unbeaten throughout the series under Santner’s captaincy.”Mitch did a wonderful job with the T20 squad in this recent series,” Walter said. “He was excellent from a strategy point of view, and he has a strong understanding of the game.”Whilst the format is different, he certainly has the respect of the players and will be supported by some highly experienced Test cricketers, so I trust that he’s going to do a great job.”The two-match series will mark New Zealand’s first Test tour of Zimbabwe since 2016.

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game is rapidly approaching, as the best players in baseball will come together for the midsummer classic at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

There will be many of the usual suspects on the field for the game, which will take place on Tuesday, July 15. Among active players, Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw––who was invited to the event by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred as a "Legend Pick"––leads the league with 11 appearances in the All-Star Game.

Kershaw's 11 All-Star appearances wouldn't even sniff the top 20 in league history, however. We'll take a look at the MLB players who have made the most appearances in the midsummer classic.

Most MLB All-Star Appearances in History

Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron holds the record for most All-Star appearances in MLB history, having featured in the game an astounding 25 times. Of course, Aaron's figures are slightly inflated by the fact that MLB played two All-Star Games each year from 1959 to '62.

Player

No. of All-Star Appearances

Team(s)

Hank Aaron

25

Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves

Willie Mays

24

New York Giants, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets

Stan Musial

24

St. Louis Cardinals

Mickey Mantle

20

New York Yankees

Cal Ripken Jr.

19

Baltimore Orioles

Ted Williams

19

Boston Red Sox

Rod Carew

18

Minnesota Twins, California Angels

Carl Yastrzemski

18

Boston Red Sox

Yogi Berra

18

New York Yankees

Al Kaline

18

Detroit Tigers

Brooks Robinson

18

Baltimore Orioles

Pete Rose

17

Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos

Warren Spahn

17

Boston Braves, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants

Tony Gwynn

15

San Diego Padres

Ozzie Smith

15

San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals

Roberto Clemente

15

Pittsburgh Pirates

Nellie Fox

15

Chicago White Sox

Johnny Bench

14

Cincinnati Reds

Barry Bonds

14

Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants

Ernie Banks

14

Chicago Cubs

Derek Jeter

14

New York Yankees

Frank Robinson

14

Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels

Ivan Rodriguez

14

Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers

Alex Rodriguez

14

Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees

Now, let's look at the active players with the most All-Star appearances, including this season's nod.

Most MLB All-Star Appearances Among Active Players

Player

No. of All-Star Appearances

Team(s)

Clayton Kershaw

11*

Los Angeles Dodgers

Mike Trout

10

Los Angeles Angels

Jose Altuve

9

Houston Astros

Craig Kimbrel

9

Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Philadlephia Phillies

Justin Verlander

9

Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros

Freddie Freeman

9*

Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers

Chris Sale

9*

Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves

Nolan Arenado

8

Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals

Mookie Betts

8

Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers

Bryce Harper

8

Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies

Max Scherzer

8

Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals

Aroldis Chapman

8*

Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox

Paul Goldschmidt

7

Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals

Manny Machado

7*

Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres

Jose Ramirez

7*

Cleveland Guardians

Aaron Judge

7*

New York Yankees

Only seven players in this year's All-Star Game have made seven or more appearances in the midsummer classic. It's clear just how much more difficult it is to sustain a streak of All-Star appearances in the modern game.

Twenty-five All-Star appearances certainly seems an impossible feat nowadays, especially given that even the lengthiest MLB careers don't often span 25 seasons. That's not to take away from Aaron's iconic career, in which he was an All-Star in 21 of his 23 years in MLB. Still, Aaron, and some others who played in the late 1950s and early '60s, benefitted from four seasons with two All-Star Games, helping them pad their tallies.

In today's game, there's much more emphasis placed on injury prevention and, as such, more time spent on the recovery process. This is best evidenced through the recent surge in UCL injuries and the subsequent Tommy John procedure required to repair the injury. That surgery comes with an extremely lengthy recovery process, effectively robbing some pitchers of a full season or more of their career.

The way the game is played today, with so much more attention to detail, a more complete array of statistics and advanced metrics and more focus on injury prevention, Aaron's record of 25 All-Star appearances won't be broken any time soon, if ever.

West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen has been subject to serious reported interest from London rivals Tottenham, and his exit stance has now come to light.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are currently in deep, deep trouble — sitting second bottom in the Premier League table after conceding more goals than any other club in the division.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

Beyond the stats, West Ham’s disjointed and uninspiring performances this term have stretched beyond Graham Potter’s dismissal, with Nuno still searching for his first win since taking charge.

The Hammers’ 3-0 win away to Nottingham Forest, which turned out to be Nuno’s final game in charge of his former club, seems like a very distant memory.

After a lot of tinkering with his first-team in the last two matches, with Lucas Paqueta used as a false nine to combat the absence of Niclas Füllkrug, Nuno is still yet to discover the winning West Ham formula.

It doesn’t get any easier for West Ham either, with high-flying Newcastle, who’ve won five out of their last six matches in all competitions, awaiting them next at the London Stadium.

January is set to be a lifeline for West Ham, and Nuno has reportedly urged the club’s hierarchy to make three signings in the form of a new defender, midfielder and forward (GiveMeSport).

Nuno has also been told that funds will be available for West Ham to spend (Sky Sports), but a more pressing issue could be convincing their current star players to remain at Rush Green.

The Times reported this week that Paqueta is keen to leave West Ham in January.

That being said, the player himself quickly put a cryptic post on social media following the rumours, which looked like an attempt to quash this noise in its tracks.

After Paqueta, some murmurs over a potential exit for Bowen are beginning to intensify.

The Irons captain is absolutely vital to Nuno and their superstar player by some distance, and West Ham rewarded the ex-Hull City winger with a long-term deal running until 2030 over two years ago.

However, the threat of relegation is prompting reports of rival clubs looking to tempt Bowen away.

Tottenham are apparently prepared to pay £53 million for Bowen’s services, but a lot will depend on the player’s own stance on leaving a club he clearly adores.

Jarrod Bowen's stance on West Ham exit amid Tottenham interest

According to TEAMtalk and journalist Dean Jones, the 28-year-old’s feelings about a departure are pretty cut and dry.

Jones reports that while the east Londoners have zero interest in selling him, Bowen could be open to leaving West Ham if they’re relegated at the end of the season.

Losing the England international right after dropping to the Championship would be a very bitter pill to swallow for West Ham supporters, and it makes January all the more imperative.

Right now, Nuno’s side quite simply do not have the quality or depth in each position to wrangle their way out of the bottom three, with the Portuguese seemingly aiming to keep them afloat long enough to strengthen his ranks.

West Ham have looked outgunned in every department, particularly in defence, with Lille star and Brazil international Alexsandro apparently Nuno’s top centre-back target for January.

Further forward, West Ham have internally talked about signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos as Nuno scours for a box-to-box midfielder, while many strikers are being considered already.

West Ham hold discussions over signing two Brazil strikers with 35 goals between them this year

The move back to his home state will allow the fast bowler to spend more time with his young family in Ahmedabad

Shashank Kishore01-Sep-2025

‘While my specialisation will remain white-ball, I’m only more than happy to take any opportunities that come my way with red-ball cricket’•Associated Press

Hot on the heels of Jayant Yadav’s departure comes another high-profile move away from Haryana, with India seamer Harshal Patel signing with Gujarat for the 2025-26 domestic season.Having completed all formalities, Harshal will be available for Gujarat’s pre-season preparations, which kick off with a tri-series later this month that also features the other two teams from the state, Baroda and Saurashtra.Related

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A 'long rope' and a 'slap on the face': how Haryana created a winning culture

Jayant Yadav signs with Puducherry for 2025-26 domestic season

Harshal’s return to Gujarat completes a circle. He was born there, and made his List A debut for the side in 2008-09 following an impressive Under-19 season. However, he made the switch to Haryana soon after returning from the Under-19 World Cup in 2010, when he was unable to make further inroads in Gujarat.He eventually made his first-class debut, for Haryana, in 2011-12 and had been a key member of their squads across formats since. In all, Harshal has picked up 246 first-class wickets in 74 matches at an average of 24.02, with 12 five-wicket hauls.He was instrumental in Haryana becoming a force across the white-ball formats over the years, and was part of the side that went on to clinch their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2023-24.”Right from 2010-11 since my Under-19 days, almost the entirety of my professional career has been with Haryana, I owe a lot to them,” Harshal told ESPNcricinfo. “If that move to Haryana as an 18-year-old hadn’t worked out for me I would have probably moved to the USA and not played cricket in India.”Harshal divides his time between the USA – where he has extended family – and Ahmedabad, where he lives. Harshal’s decision to switch teams comes at a time when he felt he needed to prioritise spending time with his young family between cricket commitments.”It was getting difficult for me to be away from the family for long periods of time,” Harshal said. “So I wanted to come back and see if I could finish my career here. Glad I got an opportunity to do that.”Harshal had been approached by another team, but he wanted to first see if Gujarat would be keen. As it turned out, they were “more than happy” to have him back.”I first asked Anil Patel [secretary, Gujarat Cricket Association] and he was gracious enough to say, ‘this is your home, welcome back.’ Having come back, I’m open to play everything and anything that the team wants me to play.”While my specialisation will remain white-ball, I’m only more than happy to take any opportunities that come my way with red-ball cricket.”Harshal hasn’t played for India since January 2023 but an international comeback isn’t on his mind•BCCI

Harshal hasn’t been a first-class regular for the past two seasons, only playing seven red-ball games over that period. But looking ahead, he’s happy with where his body is at and is keen to get back to the grind if picked.”My body allows me to bowl 20 overs in a day over two months or however long the Ranji Trophy season is; it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I love the grind. The goal has always been to play the best cricket that I can play for as long as I can irrespective of the format.”At 34, Harshal remains an IPL regular and is coming off an excellent season with Sunrisers Hyderabad – 16 wickets in 13 games at an economy rate of 9.80. He played the most recent of his 25 T20Is in January 2023, and isn’t in the mix currently. The prospects of an India comeback, though, aren’t on his mind.”My India selections and IPL and all of these things have come as a byproduct of that mindset of giving it my best wherever I play,” he said. “My motivation has nothing to do with whether I’ll play for India or not or whether I’ll play IPL or not.”My motivation has everything to do with whether I still have the hunger to go to the ground and bowl 10-15 overs in a day, and if I can do it over a period of two-three months. And the answer is yes.”At Gujarat, Harshal hopes to lend his experience to a set-up that is largely in a transition phase under head coach Ramesh Powar.”I’m pretty excited to see what I can add here to the team’s betterment,” he said. “That’s what I spoke about with Ramesh and Axar [Patel] recently. If I can contribute in some way to the development of players, mentor them and help them in their journey, there’ll be no bigger satisfaction.”As far as my own journey is concerned, I’ve always asked myself how can I be the best player I can be. That has kept me going for all these years, and it still keeps me going. My training consistency is probably better than it has ever been.”I’ve been really lucky and I’ve been really fortunate that I don’t have that financial anxiety anymore [thanks to the IPL]. So now that factor is taken away, the only thing that still pushes me is I want to play this game because I love playing this game.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar de ter ganho dois dias de folga após a classificação sobre a Ponte Preta nas quartas de final do Paulista, o Palmeiras viverá uma segunda-feira intensa neste 18 de março de 2024.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Além de conhecer o seu grupo na Libertadores 2024, em sorteio que acontece em Luque, no Paraguai, a partir das 20h (horário de Brasília), a diretoria alviverde planeja testar pela primeira vez o novo gramado reformado do Allianz Parque.

Na Libertadores 2024, o Verdão estará no pote 1 do sorteio e só corre o risco de pegar um time brasileiro na fase de grupos, o Botafogo.

O Verdão também fará nesta segunda-feira, o seu primeiro teste no novo e reformado gramado sintético do Allianz Parque, em atividade do Sub-20 que terá supervisão do clube e também de alguns membros da comissão técnica de Abel Ferreira.

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O Palmeiras vive a expectativa de voltar ao seu estádio após quase dois meses, na semifinal do Paulista, quando encara o Novorizontino por uma vaga na grande final.

O elenco profissional também deve treinar por lá nos próximos dias e a liberação do estádio vai depender de testes organizados pela Federação Paulista de Futebol, além da necessária aprovação dos atletas do Verdão.

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Chelsea have now launched their first enquiry to sign Como star Nico Paz in 2026, but it is reportedly Real Madrid who hold the key in pursuit of one of the world’s best young talents.

The Blues have built quite the reputation for signing young stars in recent years, with some of those stars beginning to thrive at Stamford Bridge whilst others wonder what’s next. One of those on the more positive side is Estevao Willian. The young Brazilian has hit the ground running in West London and once again came from the bench to contribute on Saturday night.

This time it was Wolverhampton Wanderers who suffered as Estevao found room to hand Joao Pedro the chance to get his name on the scoresheet. From one Brazilian to another, the former Brighton & Hove Albion forward duly obliged.

The 18-year-old’s performance once again resulted in significant praise from the Sky Sports studio, with former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil saying: “The thing holding him back is that he’s got the best winger I’ve ever worked with in Pedro Neto in his position.

“But he’s a top talent. Estevao, I’m sure, will manage to find his way into the team, but I think it’s difficult on that right-hand-side. At his age, you can keep him happy giving him sub appearances. But at some point, he needs to be let off the leash.”

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He previously starred at Stamford Bridge.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 9, 2025

Whilst Estevao continues to enjoy an impressive rise, Chelsea will no doubt continue their search for the next generation of standout stars. And that, of course, includes Paz. The Como star has been excellent under former Stamford Bridge star Cesc Fabregas this season and the Blues have now made their first move for his signature.

Chelsea launch first Nico Paz enquiry

As reported by Caught Offside, Chelsea have now enquired about signing Paz from Como in 2026, but face competition from Inter Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Reports have even claimed that Inter are preparing to submit an offer to sign the attacking midfielder worth €58m (£51m).

Unfortunately for the Italian giants and the rest of the interested parties, however, it is Real Madrid who hold the key to Paz’s future. The Spanish giants reportedly have a buy-back clause worth €9m (£8m) in 2026 and €10m (£9m) in 2027. In one move, they could sign a player who could reach the value of €100m for what would be the bargain of the summer.

Chelsea and others must simply hope that Madrid either opt out of signing the 21-year-old in the next two years or the player, himself, rejects the chance to make a return to the Bernabeu. If either of those scenarios take place, then things will certainly become interesting.

Described as “incredible” by Lionel Messi in the highest praise that an Argentinian can receive, Paz has already been involved in eight goals in 12 games this season and doesn’t look likely to slow down anytime soon.

Chelsea join Daniel Munoz race as Crystal Palace star reveals true "dream" move

Nottinghamshire offspinner made history on debut and, at age of 17, has further ambitions to fulfil

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Apr-2025It comes as no surprise to hear that Farhan Ahmed’s favourite bowler is Nathan Lyon. The offspinner grew up watching videos of Lyon on YouTube, and spent this winter consuming as much as he could live, particularly during the five Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Ahmed, like the Australian, is a twirler who is tall in his action, coming over the top of the ball to impart more overspin than your traditional “doorknob” offie.Modelling yourself on a bowler who has 553 Test wickets can only be a good thing. But Farhan aimed to go one better last season by trying to meet the man himself. With Lyon playing in Lancashire’s County Championship campaign through to July, the 17-year old spotted that his club Nottinghamshire would come up against him twice.Through restrictions imposed by Cricket Australia, Lyon sat out the first meeting at Trent Bridge, but that meant he would definitely play in the return fixture. Farhan circled that as the chance to finally meet his idol. Alas, life got in the way in the form of a Mathematics exam.”I was going to, and then I had a GCSE exam that week,” Ahmed recalls, still a little disappointed. “Notts played Lancashire in Southport and that was his last game. He didn’t play at Trent Bridge. I didn’t get to catch up with him.”I’ve watched Nathan Lyon bowl so much and he’s the offspinner that I always look up to. I see how threatening he is from around the wicket on a first day of a Champo game when it’s not spinning. You’re always looking at how to get the guy out and I worked on it quite a bit last year: changing the angle up and it’s helped me so much already.”Farhan continued his development on an impressive Under-19s tour of South Africa•Gallo ImagesHe ended up getting a 6 in Maths – a B in old money – and further studies will get in the way of his 2025 plans on a cricket field. But as you can tell by how he talks about the game, and the 25 wickets he took at 23.92 in his opening five first-class appearances last year, time in the classroom won’t stymie the progress of one of the most exciting youngsters in English cricket.Farhan’s name has been doing the rounds for a while, around the same time the precociousness of his brother, Rehan (three years older) was talked up ahead of a surprise Test debut at the end of 2022. That Farhan is an orthodox fingerspinner and Rehan a legspinner is no accident, by the way.”Dad said: ‘Rehan’s going to be a leggie so you’re going to be the offie, that’s how you’re going to play in the same team in the future – you can’t be two leggies and one misses out. I want you all to play together in the same team’.Farhan beams when talking about Rehan, who now has 11 England caps across all formats. “I’ve always said that he’s a role model. We live together and we eat together and everything. He’s already a role model that I’ll always look up to.”Two years after Rehan became the youngest man to play Test cricket for England against Pakistan (where their father, Naheem, was born), and then the youngest to take a five-wicket haul on debut, in the second innings at Karachi, Farhan emulated big bro with his own pair of red-ball records.In his maiden County Championship appearance last August against eventual champions Surrey, Farhan’s 7 for 140 in the first innings put him in the books as the youngest to take five or more in a first-class match in Britain. With three more wickets in the second, he dislodged WG Grace after 159 years as the youngest to take 10 or more in a first-class match on these shores.Farhan’s dream is to play alongside his elder brother Rehan for England•Getty Images”Last summer was a very important summer for me, I felt,” he says. “I thought it was very good and I was very grateful to break into the team. Especially in the Champo, I didn’t expect that.”I thought I was going to be involved in the Metro stuff (One-Day Cup) and trying to get involved in that was basically the main aim for last year.”I don’t like to look too far ahead, I try to live in the moment. [This season] For me, it’s trying to play as many Champo games as I can, hopefully perform well and see where that takes me.”The winter was spent honing his craft with the England U19s in South Africa. Further success included 11 dismissals across the two Youth Tests and four more in the 50-over leg in which he was the team’s most misery bowler, with an economy rate of 3.59. As well as working on his batting – he has the capacity to be a handy lower-order batter – he had the opportunity to work with another hero, Graeme Swann. Mentality formed a key part of their discussions.”Swanny’s been very good. He’s always helped me in whichever way. The main thing with Swanny is he’s in the wicket-taking mindset.”It’s not like if he gets hit for a six, he’d go defensive. It’s always coming back. I’ve worked with Swanny more tactically, the different fields and stuff like that.”What sets Farhan apart from his peers – and spinners a few generations above – is his unerring accuracy. Developmentally, he is ahead of the curve. But he has stock deliveries to fine-tune and, taking inspiration from Saqlain Mushtaq – perhaps the first exponent of the “doosra”, which turns away from off stump – tricks to hone.”I’d say at the moment I’m consistent with bowling different balls,” he says. “I think, over time, it’s just about working out what sort of pitch I need to bowl what kind of spin. I reckon that will come over time and with experience, hopefully.Related

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Farhan Ahmed five-for but England U19s thwarted in victory push

Sussex aiming to ruffle Division One feathers as part of Farbrace revival

“I’ve got one coming,” he says of a doosra-like variation. “It’s been on display in the 19s, it’s just about bringing it over to the Champo. I reckon it will take three or four months and hopefully it will come out. It’s just the pace and the consistency of it.”Farhan carries a refreshingly practical outlook for what lies ahead this summer. At 17, he would be forgiven for wanting it all right now. But he appreciates Liam Patterson-White and Calvin Harrison have their own claims to the No.1 spinner spot at Nottinghamshire. Nevertheless, he has formulated early-season plans, even at his home ground, which is hardly spin-friendly.”Let’s talk about the start of April: I reckon you get more natural variation and once you have the shape on it and the overspin. I don’t know if it’s going to spin, so the batter will have no clue himself how much it’s going to turn,” he says. “If it goes straight then he’s already in two minds. In the early season, there’s not much going for you with the weather conditions. Any advantage you get, like bounce, can help quite a bit.”It’s always something as a professional cricketer you have to adapt to. You shouldn’t just think spinners can’t play at Trent Bridge because they always can, and they can always perform here as well. Especially on a green wicket, where they say the seamers get the wickets… but the spinner comes on. If it’s going to turn or not, the batsman’s already in two minds.”Having started his first-class and List A careers in 2024, Farhan is angling for a chance to make his T20 bow with Notts Outlaws. Wherever they come, he just wants more first-team cricket on merit.His long-term aims are just as clear. And it is not just playing for England but realising his dad’s dream of representing his country alongside Rehan. Such is his ambition, he throws eldest brother, Raheem, into the mix – a 21-year-old batter currently unattached, who will trial for Notts and other counties this summer in search of a professional contract.”It’s definitely the pinnacle and the end-goal,” Farhan says of a potential family affair at international level. “Hopefully that comes and we keep doing it for a while. Plus, there’s my older brother Raheem to come and do that as well. All three of us – we dream!”

Capitals overcame fierce bidding war from Super Kings and Royals while Sunrisers used the right-to-match option on Markram before DSG raised the bidding amount

Firdose Moonda09-Sep-2025Dewald Brevis, the holder of the highest individual T20I score for South Africa, broke the SA20 pay record when he was picked up for R16.5 million (US$945,000 approx.) by Pretoria Capitals (PC) at the auction on Tuesday night.Bidding for Brevis, whose base price was R500,000 ($28,500 approx.), was opened by Joburg Super Kings (JSK). They were in a fierce battle with Paarl Royals (PR) up until the R10 million mark. PR, who only had a purse of R14.5 million going in, then opted out but PC entered the contest. They had a bidding war with JSK, who offered R16 million, but bowed out when PC raised it by R500,000. PC used up more than half their available purse of R32.5 million on Brevis.Brevis also became the second player to break the R10 million mark, 12 minutes after South Africa’s T20I captain and two-time title-winning captain at Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) Aiden Markram sold for R14 million to Durban’s Super Giants (DSG). Markram was hotly contested between DSG and PC, with DSG winning the final bid at R12.4 million. SEC exercised their right to match card but DSG increased the bid to R14 million and SEC let Markram go. Markram could be in the running to captain DSG, whose former leader Keshav Maharaj opened the auction and was picked up by PC for R1.7 million.