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Should West Ham United supporters take encouragement from their team’s pre-season results?

Graham Potter’s team concluded the Premier League Summer Series with back-to-back victories, beating Everton 2-1 at Soldier Field and then Bournemouth 2-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Niclas Füllkrug and Jarrod Bowen the scorers in Atlanta last Sunday.

That is certainly a good sign, given that the Irons are seemingly going to be reliant on Bowen and Füllkrug for goals, following the sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham.

Callum Wilson has arrived on a free transfer from Newcastle, but the Hammers are certainly lacking attacking difference makers, so could they be about to sign up one of Britain’s brightest young talents?

West Ham's search for new forwards

West Ham certainly struggled for goals last season, a trend that could carry into the new campaign, as the table below documents.

West Ham players to score a goal 2024/25 season

Players

Goals

Still at the club?

Jarrod Bowen

14

Yes.

Tomáš Souček

9

Yes.

Lucas Paquetá

5

Yes.

Mohammed Kudus

5

No.

Niclas Füllkrug

3

Yes.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

2

Yes.

Emerson Palmieri

2

No.

Carlos Soler

1

No.

Danny Ings

1

No.

Crysencio Summerville

1

Yes.

James Ward-Prowse

1

Yes

Michail Antonio

1

No.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As documented, just five West Ham players scored three or more goals last season, one of which Kudus has already been sold, while there are rumours that Lucas Paquetá could be on the move too.

So, as they seek reinforcements, Sky Sports News reports that West Ham have “expressed an interest” in signing Ben Doak from Liverpool.

They note that Leeds United, Wolves and Everton have also been interested during this window, after Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace saw £20m bids rejected by the Reds in January.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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The Scotland international is unlikely to remain at Liverpool this month, actively ‘seeking regular first-team football’, so could he swap Merseyside for East London?

How Ben Doak would improve West Ham

Still only 19 years old, Doak has earned plenty of praise for his performances, both in a Scotland shirt but also during a loan spell at Middlesbrough last season.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke, who is not one to get overexcited about anything, labelled him a “big talent”, while his then-boss at Liverpool Jürgen Klopp noted that Doak is a “good dribbler” who is capable of using both feet.

Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout is impressed by his “on-the-ball bravery and unpredictability”, forecasting that he is “on track” to become a Premier League star of the future.

So, let’s take a closer look at his statistics on Teesside last season.

Ben Doak at Middlesbrough in numbers

Statistics

Doak 2024/25

Championship rank

Appearances

24

284th

Minutes

1,778

219th

Goals

3

100th

Assists

7

7th

Assists per 90

0.35

3rd

Expected assists per 90

0.23

11th

Shots on target %

51.9%

6th

Shot-creating actions per 90

4.15

14th

Goal-creating actions per 90

0.56

11th

Attempted take-ons

99

16th

Progressive carries

134

4th

Carries into the penalty area

80

1st

All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

As the table documents, despite limited minutes, largely due to a season-ending thigh injury suffered in January, Doak ranked highly for the majority of attacking metrics included when compared to his EFL Championship counterparts.

His dribbling statistics are particularly impressive, most notably ending up fourth for progressive carries and first for carries into the opposition’s penalty area.

So, does this make him reminiscent of a West Ham star from around the turn of the new millennium?

Joe Cole began his senior career at West Ham, before departing to join London rivals Chelsea in 2003, returning to the Boleyn Ground for one season a decade later.

Across both spells, Cole scored 18 goals and registered eight assists for the Hammers, with Tom Mason of The Guardian asserting that he was ‘breathtaking’ when he first broke into the first team, adding that, in his prime, Cole’s ‘creativity, flair, technical ability and vision’ was amongst the best in the world.

Well, Doak boasts similar traits, characteristics and levels of ability and potential, possesing that Cole-like knack for being able to take a game by the scruff of the neck.

So could the young Scot thrive in East London? Well, like a young Cole before him, there have even been claims that the young Scot is a “generational talent”.

One thing is for certain, the talented teenager would represent a massive coup for West Ham, given that he has the potential to be even better than ex-Iron Cole ever was, which is high praise indeed, in the future.

Related He's Haaland-esque: West Ham interested in "phenomenal" £22m Wilson upgrade

Following Callum Wilson’s arrival, West Ham are now interested in signing a “phenomenal” £22m striker who has scored 50 goals in the last two seasons.

Posts ByBen Gray Aug 7, 2025

After officially announcing the arrival of Lucas Perri, Leeds United have reportedly launched an improved bid in an attempt to sign their eighth fresh face of the window.

Perri: Leeds move a “great opportunity”

When assessing his squad following promotion last season, a new goalkeeper would have been among Daniel Farke’s top priorities following the struggles that Ilan Meslier faced.

As such, names such as Caoimhin Kelleher and Djordje Petrovic were both mentioned in the early stages of the transfer window, only for both goalkeepers to seal moves to Brentford and Bournemouth respectively. But that didn’t end Leeds’ search, as they quickly turned their focus towards Perri, who has now been signed and delivered.

After putting pen to paper, the former Lyon shot-stopper told the official club website: “It was a really exciting moment for me. I was really, really glad that the club showed interest. It was incredible. To sign here I am very, very happy.

“From the videos I saw the goal celebrations, especially this last game of the season, which was an away game, and saw the parade for the Championship title and the atmosphere at Elland Road.

“I watched the Premier League since I was really young and to see all the goalkeepers that have been in the Premier League that have been successful in the Premier League, they were incredible goalkeepers.

“I think it is a great challenge for me, a great opportunity, and I am really happy and focused to be my best version here. I want to feel the atmosphere, to see the fans and the stadium. I think it will be an incredible opportunity and an incredible stadium to play in.”

Meanwhile, with another priority signing now ticked off the list, the 49ers have now set their sights on securing a talented attacking reinforcement.

Leeds launch "improved" Paixao offer

According to Fabrizio Romano, Leeds have now launched an “improved” offer to sign Igor Paixao from Feyenoord this summer.

Elland Road chiefs are now pushing to secure a deal as soon as possible, with reports suggesting that Feyenoord are demanding as much as £35m to sell their star winger.

Negotiations may not be about to get any simpler, however. As reported by Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, the Whites are ready to pay £28m, but have been unable to come to an agreement to sign Feyenoord’s South American winger.

£35m may seem like a steep valuation, but a closer look at Paixao’s numbers suggest that he would more than pay that back in the form of goal involvements next season.

If the Brazilian completes a move and goes on to replicate his Feyenoord form at Elland Road, then Farke would instantly have a new leading talisman at his disposal.

Leeds initiate talks with "outstanding" star who "will" leave his club

The Whites face competition for his signature.

1 ByTom Cunningham Jul 26, 2025

Praised for his “insane” ball-striking ability by analyst Ben Mattinson, Paixor managed 37 goal involvements last season and could now be joining a Leeds side which already ended their promotion campaign on 95 goals.

The win boosted West Indies’ net run rate to 1.154 and they’re now on the top of Group B table

Madushka Balasuriya06-Oct-2024West Indies romped to a six-wicket victory over Scotland to secure their first win of the T20 World Cup in Dubai with 50 balls to spare. The win boosted their net run rate to 1.154 and they’re now on the top of Group B table. The result leaves Scotland with two defeats in as many games, though the margin of defeat could prove even more dire to their qualification chances.Qiana Joseph’s 31 off 18 spearheaded what was a middling chase, before Deandra Dottin (28 off 15) and Chinelle Henry (18 off 10) finished the game off in haste. It was a win set up by the bowlers, as West Indies restricted Scotland to 99 for 8.Henry was named Player of the Match for her burst at the top of Scotland’s innings which yielded figures of 1 for 10, before her boundary-laden knock ensured a brisk victory.Scotland were simply second-best in all the areas that mattered with only Kathryn Bryce and Ailsa Lister with any innings of note. With the ball, meanwhile, they picked up wickets and caught much better than their opponents but were unable to stem the flow of runs – the most crucial factor when aiming to defend such a low total.West Indies dominate the powerplayScotland were 25 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, but it might have been much worse if not for West Indies’ profligacy in their catching. While the now infamous ‘ring of fire’ floodlights can be partially to blame, three chances of varying difficulty were spilt in the opening six overs.Thankfully for the West Indies, Henry was putting on a clinic in swing bowling to make sure Scotland weren’t able to capitalise on their multiple lifelines.In her first over she had Sarah Bryce edging high to first slip, where Hayley Matthews could only palm over and she followed that up with two consecutive maidens – including a wicket maiden, where she had Bryce completely foxed by an outswinger that rattled her off stump.Spinners throttle run flow Kathryn survived a tight lbw decision while Lister was dropped twice. They put these second chances to good use in stitching together a 46-run third-wicket stand. However at no point were either afforded easy runs.Afy Fletcher celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesTheir stand saw just one boundary scored, with both players forced to find the gaps and run hard between the wickets to keep the scoreboard ticking along.It looked as if a platform might have been set for a late launch, but then the wickets began to fall. Afy Fletcher dismissed Lister and Priyanaz Chatterji in consecutive deliveries in the 13th over, before removing Kathryn in her next over. Scotland stumbled to 76 for five at the end of 15 overs, and they managed only a further 23 runs in the remaining five overs, as the West Indies refused to give an inch.The Qiana Joseph experimentIf this tournament has shown anything, it’s not to judge a total or a pitch until both sides have batted. The other thing is that finding quick runs at the death is exceedingly difficult. Taking both these factors into account, West Indies opted to promote Qiana Joseph up the order after Stafanie Taylor had fallen early.Joseph’s intent was clear from the get-go, swinging and missing at a series of deliveries off Bryce. But with such a low target, each blow had an exponential impact. In all, she struck three fours and a six, but her 18-ball stay had seen as much as 31% of the target wiped off.Dottin does the jobWhen Joseph fell, West Indies still needed 41 runs for victory, and the prevailing mood was that one or two more wickets might have made the going a little trickier, particularly as Scotland were catching well.But Dottin the veteran showed she could carry on her recent franchise form, as she made light work of what might have been a banana skin of a finish. Her 15 deliveries in the middle brought with it two sixes and fours apiece, as West Indies sealed a win.

The Club World Cup might be a mixed bag for Chelsea at the moment, but next season looks rather exciting.

Enzo Maresca will lead his side into the Champions League for the first time, and be hoping for an even better finish in the Premier League.

The best way for the club to help him with that quest is by delivering him the right players over the coming weeks and months, and while they’ve made a good start, there is still plenty of work to do.

Fortunately, the Blues continue to be linked to dangerous forward Hugo Ekitiké, and if recent reports are to be believed, they are now closing in on another attacker who’d be a dream teammate for him.

Chelsea move for attacking reinforcements

The links between Chelsea and Ekitike first started to pop up around late March of this year while he was scoring for fun for German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The links then quieted down for a couple of months before resurfacing again this summer, and based on stories from earlier this month, the club have been in talks to sign the Frenchman for around £84m.

There are, of course, other teams vying with the West Londoners for the forward’s signature, with Liverpool one of the more notable competitors, but if the last twenty years have taught us anything, it’s that the Pensioners are good at getting who they want.

However, while the prospect of signing the Frankfurt poacher is certainly exciting, it looks like the Blues are now closing in on another talented attacker from the Bundesliga.

At least, that’s according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has claimed that Chelsea have reached an agreement on personal terms with Jamie Gittens.

However, that does not mean the transfer is sorted, as the Italian journalist reaffirms that an agreement with Borussia Dortmund is yet to be reached.

While Romano does not mention how much the German side want for the dynamic winger, reports from earlier this week revealed that a fee of around £55m could do the trick.

It’s a lot of money, but given Gittens’ ability and potential, this is a transfer Chelsea should be fighting for, especially as he’d be incredible alongside Ekitike.

Why Gittens would be a dream teammate for Ekitike

This was well and truly Ekitike’s breakout year for Frankfurt, as while he’s been good in campaigns prior, he was near enough unstoppable at points for the German outfit this season.

For example, in 48 appearances, totalling 3644 minutes, the young Frenchman was able to score 22 goals and provide 12 assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.41 games, or every 107.17 minutes.

So, with that said, why would Gittens help get even more out of him? There are two primary reasons, and the first is the Englishman’s output.

Across all competitions this season, the most productive, primarily left-sided winger at Chelsea was Jadon Sancho, who managed to produce 15 goal involvements in 41 games but has returned to Manchester United.

After that, it was Mykhaylo Mudryk, who looks unlikely to feature for some time, and then in third is youth product Tyrique George.

Appearances

49

42

15

25

Minutes

2803′

2426′

849′

1131′

Goals

12

5

3

2

Assists

5

10

5

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.34

0.35

0.53

0.28

Minutes per Goal Involvements

164.88′

161.73′

106.12′

161.57′

So, in short, somehow, the West Londoners have found themselves looking short on numbers and quality when it comes to out-and-out left-wingers, which are two issues solved by the Dortmund star, as he racked up 17 goal involvements in just 2803 minutes across 49 games this season.

So, it’s not unrealistic to think that he could both help provide the Frankfurt ace with more goalscoring opportunities and get on the end of the chances he creates as well.

Finally, on top of the output, the 20-year-old “difference-maker,” as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has some genuinely impressive underlying numbers that could be useful for his potential new teammate.

According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons and shot and goal-creating actions from take-ons and then the top 2% for take-ons attempted, all per 90.

This shows that not only is the youngster someone who likes to try and make things happen by himself, but someone who is capable of doing that, and if he’s constantly creating opportunities from out wide, then there will be more space for Ekitike to operate down the middle.

Ultimately, Chelsea should be looking to sign the Frankfurt goal machine, but if they want to get more out of him and dramatically improve their left-hand side, they should sign Gittens alongside him.

Chelsea ready to offer £80k-p/w ace in exchange for "amazing" 17 G/A star

The Blues could have a transfer trick up their sleeve.

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 24, 2025

Manchester United’s business this summer is already in full flow, after Matheus Cunha was announced as their first signing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Red Devils forked out a whopping £62.5m for the Brazilian international, who registered 15 goals and six assists in the Premier League this campaign.

However, whilst it may seem like a hefty figure, it’s an excellent deal for a player who can change the club’s fortunes, after a dismal spell in front of goal over the last couple of months – scoring just 44 league goals in 2024/25.

Ruben Amorim doesn’t appear to be done there though, with a striker still high on his list of priorities, leading to numerous names mentioned over a move to Old Trafford.

Liam Delap was seen as the number one target before his subsequent move to join Chelsea, resulting in a shift of focus, with numerous of Europe’s elite still on their radar.

The latest on United’s hunt for a new striker this summer

Over recent weeks, numerous top-level talismen have been mentioned as options for United, as Amorim looks to land the goalscorer who can catapult the club back up the table next season.

Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres and Hugo Ekitiké have all been mentioned as potential options for the Red Devils, with no deals yet completed for any of the aforementioned stars.

However, that same can’t be said elsewhere, as they appear to be making a move for Juventus star Dušan Vlahović, that’s according to the latest report from FootballTransfers.

They claim that Amorim’s side have entered talks with the Italian outfit over a move for the striker, who currently earns £315k-per-week, according to Capology.

It also states that he’s keen on a move to join United this summer, seeing the switch as an opportunity to take his career to the next level, with a Premier League move the dream for the Serbian.

Why Vlahovic would be United’s answer to Haaland

Erling Haaland has been one of the Premier League’s leading talismen over the last couple of years, often causing United a whole host of problems in the process.

The Norwegian joined Manchester City back in the summer of 2022 from Borussia Dortmund, subsequently going on to score 121 times in his 142 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s men.

He’s managed to score six times in his eight appearances against the Red Devils, including a hat-trick in the 6-3 rout at the Etihad back in the 2023/24 campaign.

Given his record, most sides across England’s top-flight must wish they had their own version of the talisman, with Amorim potentially able to do just that with Vlahovic.

The 25-year-old has been labelled as a similar player to the City star by FBref, with hope that he can transfer his skillset over to Old Trafford should he move in the coming months.

When comparing their respective figures from the 2024/25 campaign, the Serbian has managed to outperform in numerous key areas, showcasing what an amazing addition he would be this window.

Vlahovic, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has registered more progressive carries and more progressive passes per 90 in 2024/25, showcasing his all-round nature with the ball in attacking areas.

Games played

29

31

Goals scored

10

22

Progressive carries

1.4

0.8

Progressive passes

1.2

0.6

Aerials won

2

1.8

Fouls won

0.9

0.4

Take-on success

42%

36%

He’s also won more aerials per 90 and drawn more fouls, subsequently offering Amorim a huge focal point at the top end of the pitch, something which he’s craved since his appointment.

The Juve star has also completed more of the take-ons he’s attempted, able to play off the shoulder or even drop deeper and complete a mazy run past the opposition.

Such a move would likely cost the club a hefty whack in wages, but it’s one that could hand the side the needed attacking threat they’ve lacked this season.

If he manages to reach the levels produced by Haaland over recent years, it would be a sensational pick-up and one that could catapult the side back up the table.

An Elanga repeat: Wilcox in talks to sell £105k-per-week Man Utd talent

Manchester United may be about to make a huge mistake in selling one first-team star.

2 ByEthan Lamb Jun 17, 2025

Everton are set to embark on an exciting new era at Bramley-Moore Dock and could make a bargain signing to kick off their summer business, according to a report.

Everton preparing for summer of mass changes

David Moyes has comfortably ensured top-flight survival for Everton and has managed to revive a squad that has plenty of uncertainty hanging over it heading into the summer.

With the Toffees set to say farewell to Goodison Park, key figures such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young are yet to commit to extensions, while several loanees find themselves in limbo.

Abdoulaye Doucoure has commented on his future at the club, stirring debate among supporters, stating: “There’s not been any talks so far with Everton. I think personally, I don’t wait for them to give me a contract or not, because my contract is finished. I already have some proposals on the table, to be honest, and I think in the next three weeks, I will have to take my decision — whether I stay or not.”

Clearly, Moyes has plenty of work to do in the market before his squad is in ideal shape for next season. Ipswich Town pair Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson have emerged as Everton targets, offering an inkling of the direction his recruitment strategy could take.

Burnley’s Josh Brownhill could join the Toffees on a free transfer, which would be a wise move in the face of PSR regulations, which could otherwise create problems in a moment of positivity.

Related Sky Sports reporter says 49ers want to sign £20m+ Everton star for Leeds

Leeds have added a new attacker to their transfer shortlist heading into the summer.

Posts ByBrett Worthington May 8, 2025

Tapping into that theme, another star from the EFL Championship may also arrive this summer without the Toffees having to spend a penny in transfer fees.

Everton want to land Leeds United full-back Junior Firpo

According to Everton News, as per journalist Graeme Bailey, Junior Firpo could make a surprise move to Everton this summer on a free transfer once his contract expires at Leeds United.

While Spain is thought to be his preference, Everton appear to be at the front of the queue if the defender opts to remain in England.

Labelled “immense” by Conor McGilligan, the Dominican Republic international has registered four goals and 10 assists this campaign, playing a major role in the Whites’ promotion back to the top flight.

Similar players to Junior Firpo (FBref)

Ricardo Chavez Soto

Monterrey

Ryan Hollingshead

Los Angeles FC

Jesus Gallardo

Toluca

Anton Gaaei

Ajax

Juan Sanabria

Atletico San Luis

Earning £60,000 per week at Elland Road, it is said that Firpo also has admirers from Spain, where he came through the ranks at Real Betis before joining Barcelona back in 2019.

Previously, the Santo Domingo-born defender struggled with life in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, but he has been a key attacking force down the left flank this term and appears primed for another tilt at the top flight.

Now, Everton’s task is to put forward a convincing argument that they are a better proposition than Leeds in the long run. Given their newfound stability, they stand a good chance of winning the race for his signature.

Aston Villa suffered defeat in their Champions League quarter-final first leg away from home against Paris Saint-Germian on Wednesday night.

It was a disappointing night at the office for Unai Emery’s side, who defended with lots of heart throughout but ultimately could not stop the French giants from scoring three goals, running out 3-1 winners.

It was a game filled with high-quality finishes across the board from both sides. Two of those strikes came from PSG’s wide pair of Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who were driving at the Villans’ defence nonstop throughout the game. It is fair to say they struggled to contain on the night.

Aston Villa’s struggles against Doue and Kvaratskhelia

Villa’s defenders might not have a tougher task this season than dealing with Doue and Kvaratskhelia. The pair were electric and made life tough to cope with for Villa, with both players getting on the scoresheet.

Doue’s strike was an excellent one, cutting inside on his right foot and curling an effort into the top right corner past Martinez.

As for Kvaratskhelia’s, well, you could argue it was even better. He picked up the ball inside the Villa half, carried it into their box before selling Axel Disasi a dummy by rolling his foot over the ball and blasting it home at Emi Martinez’s near post.

Journalist Mohamed Salad said they are the reason “why you pay to watch football games” which is rather apt. He made things incredibly stressful for Disasi and Matty Cash, the Villans’ rightbacks on the night. The latter was booked and taken off at half-time, before Disasi, who replaced the Poland star, was rolled for Kvaratskhelia’s goal.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore

Incredibly, the West Midlands outfit have a player worth even more than both.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Expand Collapse The Villa player worth more than Doue and Kvaratskhelia

On big Champions League nights, you need your star players to stand up for the count, and that is certainly what Doue and Kvaratskhelia did.

Coincidentally, it’s also what England international Morgan Rogers did at the Parc des Princes too. The England international, who is a “wonderful”, in the words of Glenn Hoddle, got his side’s only goal in Paris.

What a strike it was, too, adding to the list of high-quality goals on show. The former Manchester Cty academy star got on the end of a wonderful team move, started by John McGinn, who won the ball back in midfield.

He fired it along the ground to Marcus Rashford, who played a perfectly weighted pass to Youri Tielemans. The Belgian fired the ball across the box, and Rogers tapped home.

It was a brilliant goal from Unai Emery’s side, and it is no surprise that Rogers was the man to cap off such a wonderful move. He now has 14 goals and 11 assists in 45 appearances this term in the famous Claret and Blue shirt.

When looking at Rogers’ underlying numbers courtesy of Sofascore, you can see just how well he has played across all competitions. For example, the England star has played 62 key passes and 90 successful dribbles.

Rogers key stats 2024/25

Stat

Number

Per 90

Key passes

62

1.5

Dribbles completed

90

2.2

Big chances created

18

0.4

Tackles and interceptions

51

1.3

Expected goal involvements

14.52xGI

0.35xGI

Stats from Sofascore

Football Transfers now believe he is worth more than both Doue and Kvaratskhelia. The attacker, who was born in Halesowen, is worth around £68m. In contrast, via, Football Transfers, Doue is worth a £53m, and Kvaratskhelia is valued at £60m. Not bad indeed.

Impressively, that valuation is more than any of his teammates at Villa Park and if anything, that just highlights the importance of Rogers and the excellent investment that Villa made.

They paid just £15m last January to sign him from Middlesbrough, a brilliant signing.

Related As bad as Cash: Emery must axe 5/10 Aston Villa dud who completed 11 passes

Aston Villa suffered a 3-1 defeat away to PSG

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Apr 10, 2025

There is also the intriguing question of what would have happened if the selectors had said no from the start

Alex Malcolm16-Oct-20241:36

What’s the logic of moving Smith back down the order?

George Bailey was very careful with his words when he revealed that Steven Smith would no longer be opening the batting in Australia’s Test team.”Steve had expressed a desire to move back down from that opening position,” Australia’s chair of selectors said on Monday before stating that captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald had confirmed that Smith would be moving. Bailey was explicit too in noting that he, despite being the chair, did not decide the order.Smith’s dalliance with opening in Test cricket has been mostly criticised and there are a lot of people who believe it never should have happened.Related

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And that is a thread worth pulling on. What if it never did happen?The intriguing part is not the question of who would have opened instead of Smith, which is fascinating but now a moot point. The intriguing part is what would have happened to Smith if the selectors had said no to his request to open the batting.This is where Bailey’s words are instructive. It has been lost somewhat that Smith drove the move. He requested to open the batting initially. He put it on the public agenda. The captain and coach both expressed their preference that Smith stay in No. 4 in the immediate days after Smith flagged his interest. Only after he confirmed his seriousness in undertaking the challenge did the team hierarchy conclude that it was worth doing to accommodate the selection of Cameron Green at No. 4 without forcing someone else to open against their wishes.There will be plenty of people who will say the decision-makers abdicated their responsibilities in that moment and that they should have told Smith it was a bad idea that wasn’t going to be entertained.That criticism is not unreasonable. Selectors, coaches and captains must make tough decisions and have tough conversations. But every decision has consequences and opportunity cost.Steven Smith wasn’t alone in find things tricky at the top•Getty ImagesSmith was hinting he was growing weary of the monotony of batting at No. 4. He has conquered every challenge there is in that role. His returns had been diminishing, albeit receding from a ridiculously high watermark. He had averaged 42.22 in the calendar year of 2023, and just 38.80 with a highest score of 50 in six innings against Pakistan prior to his move to the top of the order.It would take a brave and stubborn leader to hear one of Australia’s greatest ever Test batters request a fresh challenge and then flat out reject it when it was going to solve a selection headache.How would Smith have felt about that? There will be plenty who will argue that players should play the role they’re given rather than dictate terms. But if anyone has earned the right to at least request such a move, it is Smith.And given that he has been less than enthusiastic about shifting from No. 3 to No. 4 in Australia’s ODI team in recent times against his preference, the consequences of denying him the chance to open the batting in the Test team are worth considering. It is also worth noting his returns at No. 4 in the ODI side since the shift have been below his career record, coincidentally or otherwise.Had he remained at No. 4 in the Test side against West Indies and New Zealand there aren’t any guarantees he would have performed any differently than he did opening the batting. Would Australia have won in Brisbane had he been batting at No. 4, given he made an exceptional 91 not out in the chase as an opener? Would he have made a match-winning 174 not out at the Basin Reserve, as Green did? Could he have averaged more than 28.50? Those questions will never be answered. The added strands to Smith staying at No. 4, like how a different opener would have gone and what would have happened to Green, are also unanswerable.At least with Smith opening, he got a taste of what the alternate universe looks like and can potentially return to No. 4 with renewed vigour against India. Had he remained there, he may instead be feeling like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day heading into this summer.That said, was the move as much of a failure as it has been made out to be?Smith’s average of 28.50 at the top across eight innings in those two Test series was not as bad as it appears on paper. His 91 not out was the highest score by any opener in the four Tests, with only three half-century scores registered by all the openers who played. Usman Khawaja averaged 32.42 in the same four games. Tom Latham averaged 31 in the two Tests in New Zealand but had two single figure scores in Wellington. Will Young, Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul all averaged single figures.There will be plenty of focus on whether Steven Smith can rekindle his best form against India•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesMarnus Labuschagne averaged 16.85 at No. 3 in those same four Tests, with a score of 90, while Kane Williamson averaged 19.25 at No. 3 in New Zealand with a half-century. The conditions were difficult.Smith’s returns were also on par with the career averages of the three main contenders to now take the role in Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw, while David Warner averaged 30.12 across the final two years of his career.Beyond the numbers though, Smith’s initial move to open followed by his request to move back will have unintended consequences despite Green’s injury paving the way for an easy transition.The first of those falls on the team leadership when or if one of Harris, Bancroft or Renshaw gets the nod. All will feel pressure to prove themselves on Test match return in any case, but a nagging sense that they weren’t the first-choice option could be an added burden.A bolt from the blue like Sam Konstas would provide another twist. That would provide a clean, uncomplicated end to a slightly messy 11 months and signal a fresh start although depending on when Green is available again for Test cricket, another debate is on the cards.It will probably end up as a footnote on a storied career, but Smith’s time as a Test opener was a fascinating chapter.

Also, who will be Sunrisers’ next captain? And why were spinners in such low demand at the auction?

Vishal Dikshit24-Dec-2022Who will be Sunrisers Hyderabad’s captain?
Sunrisers themselves don’t know yet, head coach Brian Lara said on Friday, adding that calling Mayank Agarwal, who led Punjab Kings last year, their captain already was “unfair” because of “a couple of senior players in the squad already.”2:04

Brian Lara: ‘Haven’t taken a decision on SRH captain yet’

Their other options with captaincy experience are Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Aiden Markram, but both come with caveats. Bhuvneshwar is very injury-prone and played only four of Sunrisers’ 16 games in the 2021 season. Markram led South Africa to their Under-19 World Cup title in 2014 and captained South Africa A teams too but his leadership at international level was forgettable; he lost all five ODIs to India as stand-in captain in early 2018, although with a depleted side.Naming an overseas captain is also always tricky because of the foreign players’ cap in the XI, and many franchises have had to change captains in the middle of IPL seasons when they go through lean patches with the bat.Related

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Why did Pooran’s price go up from INR 10.75 to 16 crore despite his poor recent form?
Some may have thought that Pooran’s IPL stock would have fallen because of his poor recent run: since August this year, Pooran averages only 10.80 from 20 T20 innings with a strike rate of 114.28. Those included his disappointing scores of 13, 7 and 5 in the T20 World Cup after which he resigned as West Indies captain.But a few things would have worked in Pooran’s favour in the auction on Friday. One, his recent scores. He turned his form around by hammering 345 runs in the Abu Dhabi T10 at a staggering strike rate of 234.69 with the help of 25 sixes and 31 fours in just 10 innings. Second, he has impressive strike rates against both spin (152.20 in 31 innings) and pace (151.42 from 39 innings) in the IPL.Lastly, many teams were looking for a wicketkeeper and Pooran fits into that role. Whether INR 16 crore ($1.95 million) was worth spending on him or not is debatable, but such are the dynamics of a mini-auction.Why did Curran get more money than Stokes?
That the allrounders were going to fetch the fattest pay cheques was obvious but it so happened that the most experienced of the three – Sam Curran, Cameron Green and Ben Stokes – earned the lowest amount among them.Most expensive buys in IPL auctions•ESPNcricinfo LtdOne reason was that Stokes’ name was the last to come up among the three of them. Within a particular set – like allrounders – names were picked randomly, and teams had to bid for the name that came up. Curran came up second, after Shakib Al Hasan, and Kings broke their bank. Green was the next high-profile allrounder and this time Mumbai Indians splurged on him. By the time Stokes appeared, Kings and Mumbai were not going to bid, Sunrisers had already spent INR 21.50 crore ($2.6 million approx.) on Harry Brook and Mayank Agarwal, and some franchises were already running low on money so were out of the race. That reduced the spending power of most franchises but Chennai Super Kings still shelled out nearly $2 million for Stokes.The second reason is that Curran’s overall utility as a T20 players has overtaken Stokes’ in recent times. For example, in all T20s since the beginning of 2020, Curran’s batting strike rate against spin is 154.69 compared to Stokes’ 137.55. Curran also stepped up his death bowling in England’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign by leakin just 70 runs in his 64 balls whereas Stokes barely bowled in the death overs.Third is that Curran is just 24, Stokes is 31 and the younger one automatically becomes a longer-term investment in the IPL.Why did teams pick non-T20 specialists Rahane and Root?
They might be playing domestic T20s but Ajinkya Rahane’s last T20I was back in 2016 and Joe Root’s in 2019. Both batters, however, still found takers in the most competitive T20 league in the world.Even though Rahane scored at only 118 runs per 100 balls in the last Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Mumbai, what works in his favour is his familiarity with Indian pitches and his technique on slow and turning tracks. Now that Super Kings go back to the slow Chepauk pitches, Rahane’s game could come handy especially as an impact player when wickets fall in clusters, and in low-scoring chases.Root, contrastingly, is coming to the IPL to gain some experience of Indian pitches before the 50-over World Cup. Ever since he has given up Test captaincy, Root has been vocal about his desire to develop his T20 game and could play the role of an anchor for Rajasthan Royals after an otherwise explosive top order of Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson. An amount of INR 1 crore ($121,000 approx.) was not too much anyway.Another factor that worked for both Rahane and Root is that the tournament now has ten teams which results in more players being bought at the auction.Ajinkya Rahane, who was picked up by Super Kings, last played a T20I in 2016•PTI Why did Sunrisers not keep money aside for star allrounders despite having the biggest purse?
Sunrisers had the fattest purse of INR 42.25 crore heading into the auction and it would have made perfect sense for them to splurge on one of the high-profile allrounders.But even before they came up, Sunrisers spent more than half their money – INR 21.50 crore ($2.6 million approx.) – on Brook and Agarwal. Brook’s T20 strike rate of 167.43 in Asia combined with current form, and a solid top-order India batter in Agarwal made sense to strengthen the squad, but it didn’t leave Sunrisers with much money early on to bag a big allrounder.Head coach Lara said later that with the new impact rule, they were looking at specialists to have flexibility in their squad. Sunrisers also revealed that they expected Agarwal to go for INR 10-15 crore so were happy to get him for INR 8.25 crore ($1 million approx.) and spent a little extra on Brook, who they also thought would go for around INR 10 crore. They tried to go after Stokes later but had to back out once the bids reached INR 15 crore ($1.8 million approx.) so that they could buy more players later on.How will Green fit in to Mumbai XI?
That Green comes in as Kieron Pollard’s replacement is clear but where will he bat? He can fit in anywhere in the batting order but is best used at the top, going on current form. Mumbai already have Suryakumar Yadav and Tim David as powerful finishers so Green would best fit either as the explosive opener with Rohit Sharma or even come at No. 3 if Mumbai want a left-right pair at the top with Rohit and Ishan Kishan.If required, Mumbai could use Green lower down too when they want Suryakumar to bat at No. 3.Who’s going to be Mumbai’s lead spinner?
Before the auction, Mumbai had only the inexperienced duo of Kumar Kartikeya and Hrithik Shookeen as the main spinners in their line-up. They didn’t go after Shreyas Gopal, they didn’t try to buy back Mayank Markande or M Ashwin, and got back Piyush Chawla instead, who didn’t play the 2022 IPL (unsold) and got just one game in the 2021 edition.It has resulted in lack of proper spin-bowling options for Mumbai, unless they take the gamble of playing an out-of-favour Chawla regularly, which also goes against what owner Akash Ambani said on Friday that they wanted to buy many young players to build a squad for the future.Cameron Green can bat anywhere in the line-up, but Mumbai will be best suited using him at the top of the order•Getty ImagesWho is CSK’s death bowler after Bravo’s departure?
That Stokes comes straight in for Dwyane Bravo in the XI is a no-brainer but who is going to bowl in the death for Super Kings now? Bravo was a sure shot option for two of the last four overs, especially useful on the slow pitches in Chepauk and could even turn games around single-handedly.Stokes has bowled just 29 balls in the death overs since the beginning of 2021 which means Super Kings will turn to Maheesh Theekshana, who has been doing the same job for Sri Lanka and for Jaffna Kings in their victorious Lanka Premier League campaign. This year, he has an impressive economy rate of 7.35 in the death overs, ahead of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Sam Curran and others.Why were spinners in such low demand at this auction?
Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohhammad Nabi, Shreyas Gopal and Tabraiz Shamsi all went unsold, while some others like Adil Rashid, Adam Zampa, M Ashwin and Markande were all sold at their base price, which means they got only one bid each.Some of the top spinners in the world had already been retained by the franchises ahead of the mini-auction so teams mainly needed back-ups to fill some spots this time. Picking overseas spinners who can’t bat would not make much sense for that because that occupies one overseas slot and even if that player can be subbed in or out with the new impact rule, it must be done within the four-overseas limit rule.For the Indian names, there weren’t as many takers because most of the teams already had enough spin options in their ranks. Knight Riders added Shakib to support Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, and Kings also brought an allrounder in Sikandar Raza to add to Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar. Royals have Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin. Capitals have Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. Royal Challengers Bangalore have Wanindu Hasaranga , Shahbaz Ahmed and Karn Sharma in their ranks. Super Kings have Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Theekshana and Mitchell Santner. Lucknow Super Giant have Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi and K Gowtham, and Gujarat Titans have Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Rahul Tewatia and Jayant Yadav.

Also, what did Devdutt Padikkal do differently today in the middle overs?

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Oct-2020Padikkal powers RCB’s intent in the middle overs
Devdutt Padikkal has been one of the most successful openers in IPL 2020 so far, and has the second-most runs in the first six overs: 244, which is just eight behind tournament’s highest scorer KL Rahul for that period. In the powerplay, Padikkal also has the highest strike rate this tournament: 133.But Padikkal’s big challenge has been to keep the tempo high in the middle overs (7-16), a segment of the innings where the Royal Challengers have struggled for momentum in general. Before this match Padikkal’s strike rate in the middle overs was 114.28. He had managed to hit just a total of just 10 boundaries in 112 deliveries in the middle overs, taking 11.2 balls per boundary.Today, though, Padikkal’s strike rate soared to 173.07 as he blasted 45 runs from 26 deliveries in the middle overs, including six fours and a six – a boundary every 3.71 deliveries. That was even more than what Mike Hesson, the Royal Challengers’ team director, had asked for while talking to the match commentators during the innings.Hesson had pointed out that his team was slowing down in the middle overs and so falling short by at least 20 runs. The Royal Challengers had the worst run rate of 7.07 in the middle overs coming into the game, way below the top two teams – Mumbai (8.50) and the Kings XI Punjab (8.45). But thanks to Padikkal, and a useful cameo from AB de Villiers, the Royal Challengers scored 80 in the middle 10 overs, their second-highest total in the period for the tournament, only two runs behind what they scored against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Sharjah.Do RCB continue to rely too heavily on Kohli and de Villiers?
Without a doubt. The Royal Challengers have turned a corner and are strong contenders to make the the playoffs this IPL. However their success continues to be dictated by the batting fortunes of their two best batsmen: de Villiers and Kohli. Every time this season the pair has failed, the Royal Challengers have lost the match.Today neither Kohli nor de Villiers were around during the death-overs phase and the Royal Challengers eventually fell well short of what they would have expected to get after all the good work done by Padikkal.In their five defeats in this tournament, including today, Kohli has managed 151 runs while de Villiers has not even totalled three digits, scoring just 93 runs. In the seven matches that the Royal Challengers have won, Kohli has scored 238 at a strike rate of 138 while de Villiers has powered 196 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 196.Suryakumar Yadav makes a statement
Suryakumar Yadav would have been intent on making a statement after being overlooked for India’s T20 squad for the upcoming Australia tour. Who better to make a statement against than the team lead by Kohli, the India captain, who is part of the selection meetings.ESPNcricinfo LtdHe swung the contest in Mumbai’s favour in a matter of six balls between overs 11.6 and 12.5. Nineteen runs came off those six deliveries, 18 of them to Yadav, and according to ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster tool Mumbai’s win percentage nearly doubled from 36.5 to 64.8 in that period.An audacious six with a high and straight elbow over extra cover against Yuzvendra Chahal was followed by a steer against a fast delivery outside off from Dale Steyn, which Yadav executed in seemingly a matter-of-fact fashion. It was as if he was making a point with his calmness and composure.Yadav has been among the best batsmen this IPL, and he has done that by dominating the opposition’s best bowlers. Tonight, he dominated Chahal with the sweep shot, and hit 25 runs from 13 deliveries against him. So far in this IPL, Yadav has the most runs overall using the sweep: 32 form 13 balls. Against RCB he also caned Steyn for 19 runs from just seven balls.He had the final word, too, hitting the winning boundary and signing off with a gesture that seemed to suggest: “I’m there, relax.”