The Bangladesh fast bowler had a slow start to the Asia Cup but bowled a crucial spell in their final group game

Danyal Rasool19-Sep-2025Shaun Tait stood at the top of the run-ups, flanked by Bangladesh’s quicks. His focus, though, was on the one building a head of steam as he galloped into delivery stride. Tanzim Hasan Sakib said something to him, but Tait appeared not to respond, waiting to see how Mustafizur Rahman’s delivery would turn out. From the side-on view at the ICC Academy nets in Dubai, it appeared he was too straight, and comfortably flicked to what would have been midwicket.As Mustafizur ambled back, he spoke briefly to Tait, who appeared to motion with his wrist. Next ball, Mustafizur bowled one of those offcutters that both appear to take an age to arrive and still look like rushing the batter for time. It beat the bat.That cause of effect is rarely as linear as that, and reading such patterns into bits of training is often more narrative than chronological. That the sequence worked so neatly is probably not even the point, but appeared to confirm what the Bangladesh fast bowling coach had said half an hour earlier.”I’m satisfied with the way he’s bowling,” Tait had said about Mustafizur on the eve of Bangladesh’s first Super Four match at the Asia Cup, against Sri Lanka in Dubai. “I hope [he’ll be a threat for the other teams]. He has all the experience; he doesn’t need me to talk to him too much about the way he’s bowling. If he’s in an environment where he’s happy, I think he’ll perform well. My job with him is just to make sure he’s happy and confident. The rest he takes care of himself.”Until a couple of days earlier, Tait would have had quite the job trying to keep Mustafizur happy. Bangladesh had one foot out of the tournament, and the 30-year-old quick had struggled for impact. In the game against Hong Kong, he was economical but not much more. In the clash that counted against Sri Lanka, he was thumped for 35 and only bowled three overs in Bangladesh’s heavy defeat.But in the defence of 154 against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, Mustafizur rediscovered his form. They saved three of his overs for the second half of the chase, with Afghanistan needing 80 off eight overs with six wickets in hand. In the 13th over, Mustafizur displayed his thought process as well as his wrist skills, going through his gamut of variations, conceding just two and removing Mohammad Nabi.Bangladesh’s captain Litton Das squirreled away Mustafizur’s remaining two overs, but by the 17th, he was needed again. Rashid Khan was at the crease and Afghanistan’s requirement of 45 off 24 was still within range. The over cost 14, but Mustafizur returned in the 19th to dismiss Rashid and AM Ghazanfar in succession to confirm Bangladesh’s win.”Mustafizur is a good asset,” Tait said. “He’s played here before. He’s a good leader for us who’s been around a long time.”When Tait was bowling coach of Pakistan, he told ESPNcricinfo he felt Pakistan’s fast bowlers required “a bit more mongrel”. Bangladesh’s quicks have not been associated with that kind of ferocity, but Tait finds it less of an issue here than he did in Pakistan.”[It is] a little bit [true of Bangladesh too]. We’ve talked about just being a bit more confident in what we’re doing. A couple of the Bangladesh fast bowlers naturally do that anyway as you’ve seen. It’s about being confident in what you’re doing.”Tait doesn’t obsess over analytics or fuss over technical aspects of a bowler’s action, leaving that to sports science specialists. With Bangladesh, he emphasised once more the value of the intangibles he thinks they can still add to their game. “The way I like to do things is definitely talk about having that presence and confidence especially when you’re playing against good teams like we’re playing this week. We’ve definitely got to be up for the contest.”Against Sri Lanka on Saturday, they are aware of the need to perform better than they did in the group stage. Bangladesh owe their presence in the Super Four to Sri Lanka’s victory against Afghanistan on Thursday.”It’s a new day,” Tait said. “The beauty of these tournaments is the games come thick and fast. When the games keep coming, it’s a good chance to forget about the past as much as you can and move on to the next game.”

Manchester United’s interest in a new midfielder this winter seems to be hotting up. The Red Devils could move on a couple of players in the middle of the park, if recent reports are to be believed.

Ruben Amorim seems happy to get rid of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte over the coming weeks.

It has not been an easy season for either of those players. Despite his obvious talent, Amorim continues to ignore Mainoo, and the Englishman has yet to start a Premier League game this term.

As for Ugarte, he is merely a squad player at Old Trafford, starting just two league games himself in 2025/26.

Whatever the future of the two midfielders, United seemingly have a few replacements identified.

Man Utd pursuing midfield target

There are a few names that keep popping up when it comes to United’s midfield targets. Two of those are England internationals Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton, both of whom United are interested in signing.

Of course, another player United are constantly linked with is Brighton and Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba.

The 21-year-old was a target over the summer for the Red Devils, and it has been confirmed by The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell that the club had actually ‘agreed personal terms’ with the Cameroonian midfielder at the time, albeit while opting against actually lodging a bid.

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As was the case then, this is not a deal that will come cheap for the 13-time Premier League champions.

They will have to smash their transfer record to sign the midfielder, paying £100m as per a report at the start of December.

However, Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in Baleba and could make a move of their own despite the hefty price tag.

Why Baleba would be an upgrade on Ugarte

It has not actually been the best season for Brighton’s key man in midfield, Baleba. The 21-year-old has featured in all 13 Premier League games, but has struggled for consistency and has not really found his best form.

Indeed, the former Lille star has mustered only 701 minutes in the top flight this term, and has only completed 90 minutes on one occasion.

So far this term, he averages just 7.7 full 90-minute games.

Yet, his importance to the Brighton side when at his best cannot be understated. Described as a “beast” by Matt O’Riley, he played 34 times under Fabian Hurzeler last term, even chipping in with three goals and one assist.

Perhaps the pick of the bunch was this strike against West Ham United, which won him the goal of the month award.

Should United bring Baleba to Old Trafford, he would be a huge upgrade on Ugarte. Since his £50.5m move from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, the Uruguayan international has been underwhelming.

Indeed, once a key player at Sporting under Amorim, Ugarte has struggled to get into the side. He’s only played nine times in the top flight this season, racking up only 301 minutes.

Last term, he was more of a regular, playing 39 times across the Premier League and Europa League, and even chipped in with two goals, but he has fallen firmly out of favour in 2025/26.

After United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby Town this season, Red Devils content creator Alex Turk described Ugarte as “embarrassing.”

Indeed, his lack of physicality and progression on the ball is far worse than that of Baleba.

There are stats which back that theory up, too. The Red Devils transfer target averaged 1.34 progressive carries and 6.41 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, compared to Ugarte’s 0.86 progressive carries and 6.12 ball recoveries each game.

Baleba vs Ugarte (last 2 PL seasons)

Stat (per 90)

Baleba

Ugarte

Progressive passes

3.54

3.49

Progressive carries

1.34

0.86

Ball recoveries

6.41

6.12

Interceptions

1.55

1.34

Clearances

1.58

1.21

Stats from FBref

Of course, £100m is a huge investment, but for a player of Baleba’s quality, it might well be worth it.

He is far better than Ugarte in and out of possession, and would bring more of a physical presence to Amorim’s pivot.

This certainly feels like a deal United should try and get over the line, if they want to add better quality in the middle of the park.

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A billionaire candidate who looked at buying the club has reportedly made his decision on completing a takeover of Sheffield Wednesday, as their initial deadline nears.

Sheffield Wednesday near initial deadline

Whether it was optimistic or not, Sheffield Wednesday’s co-administrator Kris Wigfield initially set a soft deadline of December 5 to find a preferred bidder for the club. That is just one day away, however, and it seems unlikely that the Owls will have their answer in the next 24 hours.

Instead, it’s been a frustrating week. The club has been dealt an additional six-point deduction thanks to the lingering consequences of Dejphon Chansiri’s ownership and must already turn their focus towards Championship relegation and a campaign in League One next season.

After a decision that only adds salt to their wounds, Wednesday will hope to see some progression regarding their takeover sooner rather than later.

On that front, several rumours have emerged about a number of interested candidates and one report even claimed earlier this week that some parties may choose to put a joint bid together.

It would be quite the move to match the Owls’ £30m valuation, but whether that move is deemed acceptable by Begbies Traynor remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, reports have also claimed that Mike Ashley has already seen one offer rejected for the club, having fallen below Sheffield Wednesday’s valuation. The former Newcastle United owner is one of interested candidates, albeit one who is yet to match other bidders.

However, the same can’t be said for Anders Holch Povlsen, who has dealt those at Hillsborough a frustrating blow with his latest verdict on buying the club.

Povlsen makes Sheffield Wednesday takeover decision

According to Danish outlet Tipsbladet, as relayed by The Star, Povlsen is not among the final candidates to buy Sheffield Wednesday. The Dane may have taken a look at the club, but has decided against putting his name in the hat ahead of the Owls’ crucial decision.

For those at Hillsborough, his interest would certainly have been welcomed. Povlsen already owns Midtjylland and a Forbes profile claimed his estimated networth was $11.3 billion (£8bn) in 2022.

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The 53-year-old inherited a majority stake in ASOS and is reported to be the largest individual private landowner in the UK thanks to his land in the Scottish Highlands. So, to say that money is not an issue would be a major understatement.

Alas, it’s not just his money that made Povlsen an attractive takeover candidate before he decided against a move. The Dane also ticks the box for experience in the world of football – something other rumoured candidates do not have. In many ways, he was the ideal man for the job, but Wednesday must now look elsewhere.

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Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario did not enjoy his best evening in North London during the team’s 2-1 defeat to Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.

It was his significant error when trying to clear the ball near the corner flag that ultimately lost the Lilywhites the match, as Harry Wilson’s long-range finish turned out to be the winning goal.

Per Sofascore, Vicario had 30 touches of the ball and conceded two goals from three shots whilst making one error that directly led to a goal for the Cottagers, which was the error in the clip above.

Whilst it was a disappointing display from the Italy international between the sticks, Thomas Frank’s goalkeeper was merely one of a number of poor performers on the night.

Ranking Tottenham's worst performers against Fulham

Vicario, because of the nature of his error and the fact that he only made one save, was the team’s worst performer on the night. It is hard to get away from that conclusion.

Destiny Udogie, though, rivalled him with a disappointing showing. The Italian full-back lost four of his five ground duels, per Sofascore, and deflected Fulham’s opener past his goalkeeper as he failed to block Kenny Tete’s shot from distance.

1

Guglielmo Vicario

2

Destiny Udogie

3

Richarlison

4

Pedro Porro

5

Archie Gray

As you can see in the table above, Archie Gray, who won one of his four duels in 60 minutes on the pitch, and Pedro Porro, who was bailed out by Micky van de Ven after a Vicario-esque error, were also among the worst performers for Spurs.

Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Bergvall, who linked up for a brilliant goal in the second half, were the only players who did anything of note offensively for the Lilywhites as they looked to get back into the match.

That is why Richarlison was also among the worst performers on the night for Spurs, as the Brazil international is becoming the new Roberto Soldado in North London.

Why Thomas Frank must drop Richarlison

The Spurs boss must ruthlessly bin the former Everton centre-forward from the starting line-up for the trip to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle United on Tuesday night, due to his dismal showing on Saturday.

Per Sofascore, the Brazilian forward failed to register a single shot on goal from his 21 touches of the ball, fewer touches than Vicario had in goal, and he did not create a single chance for his teammates.

Richarlison has scored six goals in 21 appearances in all competitions this season, including some stunning strikes like the ones against Burnley and Arsenal, but that is still an underwhelming return for the money that was once spent on him.

Tottenham paid a whopping £60m to sign the striker from Everton in 2022, which made him the club’s most expensive striker signing since they broke their transfer record to sign Roberto Soldado from Valencia for £26m in 2013.

The Spanish marksman scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists in 76 appearances, per Transfermarkt, which worked out as a goal contribution every 2.8 games on average. That was a solid return in front of goal on paper for the attacker, but it was not worth the club-record transfer fee.

Games

111

76

Goals

26

16

Games per goal

4.3

4.8

Assists

12

11

Games per assist

9.3

6.9

Games per G/A

2.9

2.8

As shown in the statistics above, Richarlison currently has a worse goals per goal contribution rate in his Tottenham career than Soldado managed during his time in North London.

This speaks to how underwhelming the £60m signing has been on the whole for Spurs, even if he has had his moments of magic, which is why the Lilywhites should be looking for a long-term replacement in the number nine position.

With this in mind, Frank should give Randal Kolo Muani, who scored twice against PSG in the Champions League, a run of matches as a lone centre-forward to see how he fares in that role.

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Liverpool’s defence have borne the brunt of the criticism for the club’s landslide in form this season. Such reproval has hardly been undue. However, Arne Slot’s forwards have also struggled to implement his tactics.

The plain truth is that the Reds have so many punctures across their system, and the boss has an increasingly slim period to overturn the plummet in form that has led to nine defeats across 12 matches in all competitions.

Ahead of their trip to West Ham United on Sunday, Liverpool languish in 13th place in the Premier League, and there are so many creases for Slot and his staff to iron out if a turnaround is to be found.

Mohamed Salah has for so long been an unstoppable force for the Anfield side, but he’s been among the most disappointing members of the team this season, and the right wing is becoming a weak link.

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If Salah sees out the £400k-per-week contract he extended back in April, he will leave Liverpool in 2027, marking a decade on Merseyside.

He has scored 250 goals and provided 116 assists across 419 appearances in a Liverpool shirt, and he is one of the greatest players in Premier League history.

Goals scored

0.77

0.34

Assists

0.48

0.17

Shots taken

3.23

2.43

Shot-creating actions

4.51

3.27

Touches (att pen)

9.50

6.21

Pass completion (%)

70.6

68.1

Progressive passes

3.84

4.19

Progressive carries

4.14

3.94

Successful take-ons

1.55

0.92

Ball recoveries

2.70

2.77

But there’s no denying the 33-year-old has been miles south of his usual standards this season, wasteful in the final third and drifting on the edge of Slot’s malfunctioning system.

There remains hope that Salah will rediscover his form, but a success plan needs to be put in place, and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh has been earmarked as a possible option.

According to Spanish sources, Liverpool are ‘seriously considering’ a move for the 21-year-old winger, who has established himself in the Premier League since the start of last season.

It’s unclear at this stage what Brighton would demand for their rising star, but he wouldn’t come cheap, certainly more than the £35m figure the Seagulls paid Newcastle to bring him to the south coast in 2024. Some sources suggest discussions could enter the £100m ballpark.

Why Liverpool want Yankuba Minteh

Minteh has actually worked under Slot’s wing before, scoring nine times across 36 matches on loan during the 2023/24 season, assisting five goals too.

Newcastle were then forced into selling their Gambian prospect to ease PSR-related concerns, and he has become a star in the Premier League, hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig as “one of the standout wingers” in the division back at the start of the term.

While he’s only scored once across 12 matches, Minteh has assisted four goals and maintained the kind of athletic level of performance that would raise the bar at Liverpool, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 2.5 dribbles and won 6.3 duels per game.

His qualities are further underscored by FBref’s data. In the Premier League this term, Minteh ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 1% for goal-creating actions and the top 11% for tackles won per 90.

This blend of physicality and potency – the wide forward scored seven goals last year – is almost reminiscent of Sadio Mane in his Liverpool pomp.

This was actually picked up by one football scout, who has said that Minteh can “can reach Sadio Mane[‘s] level” if he continues to foster his natural qualities.

Minteh is still so young. He is 21. Mane, for what it’s worth, was 24 when moving from Southampton to Liverpool in a £34m deal.

Mane didn’t match Salah’s jaw-dropping output, but he certainly came close, and 120 goals and 46 assists over 269 outings during Jurgen Klopp’s golden years is hardly a poor return.

Unlike Salah, the 34-year-old always had a bit more fury in his game, so combative and electric on the ball.

If Minteh could capture even a portion of the form Mane projected at Anfield over so many years, he would more than endear himself to the Reds fanbase.

But, as those in the know would tell you, he has what it takes to emulate the Senegalese icon.

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Opener Campbell Kellaway also impressed for Australia A on a dominant day for the hosts

AAP05-Dec-2025Jhye Richardson has announced his triumphant return to bowling, taking four wickets in his second game back from injury as Australia A punished a hapless England Lions.The hosts went to stumps on day one of their four-day match in Brisbane at 155 for 2, after Richardson had taken 4 for 35 to help bowl the Lions out for 166.Richardson would almost certainly have figured in Test contention for this summer, had he not been recovering from shoulder surgery. He went wicketless during 20 overs for a CA XI against the Lions late last month, but was back bowling at pace at Allan Border Field on Friday.Richardson had Ben McKinney dropped at first slip in his third over of the day, before running through the tourists in the second session. He bowled James Rew for 7 when the left-hander inside-edged a ball that angled across him onto his stumps, before Richardson’s pace had Ben Kellaway playing on.In almost comical fashion, Kellaway defended a delivery from the quick before he was unable to stop the ball rolling back onto his stumps.Richardson then had both Matthew Fisher and Nathan Gilchrist edging behind the wicket, as the Lions fell from 72 for 1 to all out for 166 in 50 overs.Richardson played his last Test in December 2022, but has battled constant shoulder and hamstring injuries since then. His recovery from last season’s dislocated shoulder ruled him out of contention for the start of the Ashes, with Brendan Doggett debuting in Perth.Todd Murphy and Xavier Bartlett also took two wickets each for Australia A, before Campbell Kellaway flew to 71 off 75 balls in the final session.Earmarked as a Test opener of the future, Kellaway’s runs came after he also hit a half-century for the Prime Minister’s XI against England last weekend.Kellaway produced one of the shots of the day with a cracking pull shot off Gilchrist, before he later pulled the quick straight to mid on.England spinner Shoaib Bashir meanwhile had an unhappy afternoon, taking 0 for 22 from three overs after being overlooked for the Gabba Test.Nathan McSweeney (40 not out) pulled Bashir’s first two balls for four, before Kellaway also took to him in the next over and he was dragged out of the attack.

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