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Over the last few years, Manchester City have had a policy of inserting buy-back clauses when they sell some of their more promising young players. For instance, City insisted on the right to re-sign Pedro Porro for €20m (about £17m) when he joined Sporting, though they ultimately decided not to challenge Spurs for his signature in 2023.

Likewise, had Romeo Lavia stayed at Southampton for a second campaign after leaving the Etihad, City would have been able to bring him back for £40m this summer. Instead, he wound up signing for Premier League rivals Chelsea within 12 months.

Then there's Douglas Luiz, who joined City from Brazilian club Vasco de Gama in 2017 but never kicked a competitive ball for the club. He was immediately sent to City Football Group side Girona on a two-year loan, and when that concluded, he was sold to Aston Villa for just under €17m (£15m). City's option to re-sign him for £25m expired in the summer of 2021, but they appear to have kept tabs on his progress ever since.

Guardiola performs Luiz u-turn

According to Football Insider, Manchester City want Douglas Luiz to return to the Etihad. Pep Guardiola specifically is a "huge fan" of the Brazilian after noticing a "significant" improvement over the past couple of years.

As such, the reigning champions are now "stepping up their interest" ahead of the summer transfer window, when they could go toe-to-toe with Arsenal for his signature.

Luiz may have made City regret sale

Labelled "fantastic" by pundit Clinton Morrison, Luiz has arguably been one of the best midfielders in the league this season, doing a bit of everything for Unai Emery's side. First and foremost, he's been directly involved in 13 goals, four of them penalties, which is second only to Brighton's Pascal Gross among players in his position.

Premier League central midfielders with most goal involvements – 2023/24

Rank

Player

Club

G+A

1

Pascal Gross

Brighton and Hove Albion

14

2

Douglas Luiz

Aston Villa

13

3

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

11

=4

James Maddison

Tottenham Hotspur

9

=4

John McGinn

Aston Villa

9

=4

Declan Rice

Arsenal

9

=4

Rodri

Manchester City

9

8

Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United

8

9

Scott McTominay

Manchester United

8

10

Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest

7

Luiz is nearing double figures for this season after netting twice in Villa's 4-2 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend, but he's also been the team's chief playmaker, ranking first for chances created (40) and shot-creating actions (90, 24 from set-pieces). He's often been the man playing the final ball but he can also fashion dangerous situations from deeper areas, having recorded the second most passes into the final third (108) and progressive passes (139) in the squad.

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On top of that, he also leads the way for tackles won (37) and blocked passes (22), so he's highly active out of possession too. Nominated for the league's player of the month award in October, he's looking more complete than ever, and some would say that City made a mistake letting him go in the first place.

أكد مارسيل كولر المدير الفني لفريق الكرة بـ الأهلي، على صعوبة مباراة الزمالك بالسوبر الإفريقي، مشيرًا إلى أنه قد يقدم مفاجأة في تشكيل الفريق بالغد.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع الزمالك غدًا الجمعة، على ملعب المملكة آرينا في العاصمة السعودية الرياض، وتنطلق المباراة في تمام التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

وكان الأهلي قد حقق بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا على حساب الترجي التونسي، بالفوز عليه بهدف دون رد، ليتوج باللقب الـ12 في تاريخه.

بينما فاز الزمالك ببطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية أمام نهضة بركان المغربي، ليحصد اللقب الثاني له بالبطولة القارية.

وقال كولر في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “أنا سعيد بالتواجد في المملكة العربية السعودية ومباراة الأهلي والزمالك تجمع فريقين كبار وكلاهما فاز بالعديد من الألقاب الإفريقية”.

وأردف: “المباراة بين الأهلي والزمالك ستكون صعبة للغاية، ولكنه قام بتجهيز لاعبيه جيدًا من أجل تحقيق الفوز، كما أنه يعول كثيرًا على الدعم الجماهيري في استاد المملكة آرينا، لمساندة اللاعبين”.

طالع | جوميز: الزمالك حاليًا أفضل من الموسم الماضي.. والأهلي لديه ثقافة الفوز

وأوضح: “علي معلول تعرض لإصابة كبيرة ويغيب عن الأهلي منذ فترة طويلة، أتمنى له العودة سريعًا، وقدم يحيى عطية الله مستوى مميزًا خلال المواجهتين الماضيتين أمام جورماهيا الكيني في دور الـ32 ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا”.

وواصل: “السوبر الإفريقي من مباراة واحدة، والمكسب مهم للغاية، ولدينا دوافع كثيرة في بداية الموسم من أجل تحقيق اللقب، وسنبذل قصارى جهدنا من أجل الحصول على دفعة معنوية قوية للمنافسة على بطولات الموسم الجاري”.

وأضاف: “لم نحدد من سيبدأ المباراة بشكل أساسي، لدينا تدريب قوي اليوم، وبعدها سوف نستقر علي تشكيل الفريق”.

وزاد مدب الأهلي: “محمد عبدالمنعم لم يعد متواجدًا مع الأهلي، ولدينا ثنائي قديم في دفاع الفريق، بالإضافة لثنائي جديد مميز، ومعهم محمد الشناوي في حراسة المرمى، ونحن نركز على الموجودين معنا في الفريق، ونتمنى التوفيق لعبد المنعم في رحلته الاحترافية”.

وبسؤاله عن إمكانية مشاركة إمام عاشور ومحمد مجدي أفشة سويًا، أجاب: “هذا سؤال تكرر بنفس المضمون، ولكن لن أقول من سيبدأ أساسيًا، سأجعل الأمر مفاجأة لكم غدًا في التشكيل للمباراة أمام الزمالك”.

وأتم: “لا يوجد فرق بين مواجهة الزمالك محليًا وإفريقيا؛ لأنه فريق كبير ومنافس قوي، وهدفنا الفوز دائمًا وتقديم أفضل مستوى، وسعيد للغاية بأن الاستاد سيكون ممتلئا بالجماهير في مباراة قوية أمام منافس قوي”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia Benítez, com negociação encaminhada para jogar no São Paulo, já treina com o elenco do Tricolor no CT da Barra Funda, assim como aconteceu também na última quarta-feira.

São Paulo de olho em estrangeiros: veja os gringos com mais jogos pelo clube

O jogador está inserido no CT da Barra Funda com o aval do Independiente (ARG), clube com o qual tem contrato, mas já se acertou com o São Paulo. Resta apenas detalhes a serem finalizados com o Vasco, clube onde Benítez estava emprestados, para o anúncio oficial.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA DE 2021!

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No começo desta semana, a negociação parecia fechada, com a ida do atacante Paulinho Boia ao Gigante da Colina. No entanto, o jogador recusou a oferta e optou por permanecer no Tricolor.

A princípio, o clube seguirá com a rotina normal de treinamentos nesta semana. O Tricolor espera as definições da reunião da Federação Paulista com os clubes, para saber se irá modificar a programação dependendo dos rumos que o Campeonato Paulista tomar. Caso a rodada seja cancelada, o elenco deve ganhar folga a partir de sexta-feira.

Rohit Sharma’s batting at the top of the order in ODIs is a study in contrast to the methods in vogue at the moment, with batsmen preferring to attack hard early. Rohit is not averse to taking his time at the start and settling in, before exploding with greater force as the innings progresses.India’s limited-overs vice-captain is the only man with multiple double-centuries in ODI cricket, having hit three including a world-record 264, and he explained that he had found a process that worked well for him.”What works for me is what works for me. I’m going to stick to my plans. In those double hundreds that I have scored, you’ve got to see how many balls I had consumed by the time I reached my first 10 runs, the first 50 runs, the first 75-80 runs. It’ll rarely be five balls 10 runs, or 25 balls 50 runs,” Rohit told . “You know what I’m saying – but I’ve still got there. I’ve worked with certain trends and those trends have worked for me, in return. There will be days when I will get off to a flyer.”Obviously when you’re chasing scores of 350 and 370, you’ll have to change gears as required. There’s not much time that one can take before he can get going. I get that. But you asked me about how I like to go about – to that, I’ll say, follow what suits you, go by the conditions, the opponents, the kind of attack that’s coming at you. So, let’s say much of that is an instinctive factor.”The numbers bear out Rohit’s success with his method.

Rohit’s acceleration during the course of an innings is evident. Among openers in the first ten overs, he is the second slowest, ahead of only Tamim Iqbal. From overs 10.1 to 35, and expanding the list to include batsmen in the top four, he is eighth among 61 batsmen. And in the last 15 overs, only AB de Villiers scores quicker than Rohit among 91 batsmen.Rohit’s six-hitting ability also plays a part in his acceleration. Since the 2015 World Cup, he has hit 130 sixes for India, considerably more than the second-placed Virat Kohli’s 55.”Listening to people, day in, day out, it’s something that I have learnt to live with,” Rohit said. “You step out of the house and the first guy you say hello to, hellos back: ‘Cover drive (Play the cover drive like this. Improve your straight drive).’ (What do I do?). Listen and move on. One guy, I don’t even know him, gave me a 15-minute lecture on the pull shot. Don’t hit the ball in the air (laughs).”What those people don’t understand is they know and recognise me as a cricketer because of those very shots. I wouldn’t have been scoring the kind of runs I did if I didn’t take those risks. For instance, just this week, someone shared an interesting stat with me. Post the 2015 World Cup, I’ve hit 130 sixes. The next best from India is 55. The margin of 75, you see, is the margin of risk I’ve taken. Simple.”

حقق منتخب السودان فوزًا صعبًا أمام منافسه النيجر بهدف وحيد في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ضمن منافسات تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025.

وأقيمت المباراة بين السودان والنيجر على أرضية استاد جوبا في إطار لقاءات الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجموعات بـ تصفيات الأمم الإفريقية.

ويشارك في قرعة تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا نسخة 2025، 48 منتخبًا يتم تقسيمهم على 12 مجموعة بواقع 4 منتخبات في كل واحدة.

وتقام منافسات التصفيات بنظام الدوري الذهاب والإياب، حيث يصعد متصدر ووصيف كل مجموعة إلى النهائيات التي تقام بحضور 24 فريقًا.

ويتواجد منتخب السودان في المجموعة السادسة بجوار منتخبات النيجر وأنجولا وغانا.

وسجل أبو بكر عيسى هدف السودان في الدقيقة 51، بعد استلامه للكرة داخل منطقة الجزاء بعد ارتباك دفاعي في صفوف النيجر ويصوب الكرة مباشرة في المرمى. هدف فوز السودان أمام النيجر في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا

وبهذه النتيجة حصد منتخب السودان أول 3 نقاط له في المجموعة السادسة محتلاً صدارة المجموعة بشكل مؤقت حتى إجراء مباراة غانا أمام أنجولا والمقررة غدًا الخميس.

بينما يحتل منتخب النيجر المركز الأخير في المجموعة بدون نقاط بعد هزيمة اليوم.

After 15 games, Arsenal, like for much of last season, once again find themselves sitting pretty atop the Premier League table.

Mikel Arteta's men haven't been as free-flowing in attack or as silky in their passing, and some may even argue that they have looked stilted at times. Still, the men from north London have found a new solidity this year, which has propelled them to their most envied of positions.

Even after the fantastically entertaining game against Luton Town earlier this week, they can boast the joint-best defence in the league alongside Liverpool.

However, as great as their backline is, they will need to start putting away more of their chances if they are to dethrone Manchester City this year, and to do that, they will probably need to sign a new number nine.

Brentford's Ivan Toney has been frequently linked to the club in recent months, but it looks like Edu and Co have a different player in mine, Evan Ferguson.

Arsenal transfer news – Evan Ferguson

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the Gunners are on the lookout for a new striker in 2024, and while Toney is on the list of potential targets, there is a genuine 'admiration' from the club for Brighton & Hove Albion's teenage sensation, Ferguson.

Ornstein mentions that several other clubs are interested in the Irishman's signature, which is hardly surprising considering he has scored six goals in just nine Premier League starts this season.

Something else that should not come as a big surprise given the hype around the "incredible" striker, as described by his manager Roberto De Zerbi, is the sort of fee Brighton will want for his signature.

According to Football Transfers, the South Coast side values the dynamic forward at a whopping £100m, so any move will require some serious conviction from the Gunners. However, with how the Bettystown-born forward has performed since making his debut, that valuation might prove fair.

Evan Ferguson could be a better option than Ivan Toney

The first thing to clarify is that Arsenal would be instantly improved if they sign either of these strikers. Toney has already proven his top-flight credentials with Brentford in the last few years, and Ferguson looks like he is going to develop into one of the best strikers in the world.

However, with Arteta clearly trying to build his team for long-term success, it makes sense for him to sign the younger of the two, even if that costs the club more money.

Arsenal could look to "magnificent" new target after he spoke with Arteta

His club are prepared to sell in January.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 8, 2023

When comparing the players' numbers from last season – as Toney's ban makes last year the best way to compare them fairly – the "amazing" Brighton man actually comes out on top in the majority of important statistics.

These statistics show that Ferguson provides a similar threat in the final third whilst being far more reliable in possession of the ball for his team.

Ultimately, the Gunners would be a more potent attacking threat with either forward, and while the "unplayable" Toney, as described by Alan Shearer, has more of a back catalogue to gauge his actual ability on, the raw power and quality that Ferguson exudes every time he steps on the pitch gives him that slight edge.

Additionally, the age of the Irishman means that if he were a success in N5, he could either stay there for well over a decade or move on in four or five years for an enormous profit – it's a win-win.

Cummins was rested for the one-day series against India with the two Tests against Sri Lanka in mind, but he is desperate not to miss any more white-ball cricket ahead of the World Cup

Andrew McGlashan28-Jan-2019Pat Cummins is not about to use his elevated role as vice-captain to try and force his way into the new-ball role in Australia’s Test team, but is eager not to be rested again between now and a packed season in England which includes the World Cup and Ashes.Cummins, who was promoted to vice-captain alongside Travis Head before the Brisbane Test, claimed career-best match and innings figures against Sri Lanka – 6 for 23 and 10 for 62 overall – as he spearheaded Australia’s charge to an innings victory well inside three days.It was the continuation of an impressive season for Cummins, who was the standout Australia quick during the India series, and he has now risen to a career-high No. 3 in the ICC world rankings, behind Kagiso Rabada and James Anderson. He has 90 wickets in 19 Tests at 22.47 and will be vital to both Australia’s Ashes and World Cup hopes later this year.There is a strong argument to say that his success this season should see him elevated to the new-ball role in the Test team with Mitchell Starc below his best as he went none for 57 in the second innings off 14 overs. However, Cummins was more than comfortable watching debutant Jhye Richardson take the role ahead of him in Brisbane even though his new vice-captaincy role may give him some sway.ALSO READ: The puzzle of Mitchell’s stark struggles”Someone like Jhye, as soon as he came in, I was saying he has got a beautiful seam and has to get the new rock,” Cummins said. “To be honest, I’m pretty happy with my role. I feel like our new-ball bowlers have always done a really good job. When Starcy is on you just feel like he is going to rip through. You saw him against India, both their openers got dropped because we start off really well with the new ball. So, I’m always really happy to come on, itching to get the ball in my hand, but I am happy to wait a few overs.”There was a tantalising glimpse of what Cummins can achieve with an almost-new ball when he came on in the sixth over of Sri Lanka’s second innings and produced a superb final over on the second day, which ended with the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne. He then began on the third day alongside Richardson, with Starc forced to wait his turn, and Cummins picked up three wickets before he conceded a run.”I love to get the ball in my hands in those times but I think overall the new-ball bowlers always do a great job so my job hitting the deck. I do that pretty well and they open the bowling pretty well,” he said.Pat Cummins exults after picking up a wicket•Getty ImagesCummins was rested for the one-day series against India – along with Starc and Josh Hazlewood, the latter then diagnosed with back injury – with the two Tests against Sri Lanka in mind, but he is desperate not to miss any more white-ball cricket ahead of the World Cup. Australia head to India in mid-February for two T20Is and five ODIs followed by five more ODIs against Pakistan in the UAE.”After the [Canberra] game there are two ODI tours and hopefully I am on them and a couple of T20s as well,” he said. “ODIs are a lighter load than Tests and then most of April is off leading into the English summer so we’ll wait and see. Hopefully I will play most of those but I had a good two-week break after the last series so I feel pretty fresh.”Cummins missed the two Tests against Pakistan in the UAE last year with back injury, but with just one more Test to go against Sri Lanka he is on track to get through two full home seasons which, given his injury history earlier in his career, is a commendable effort.Despite a brittle-looking Sri Lanka batting order, it could be harder work in Canberra. Cummins was expecting less help from the surface than in Brisbane and suggested reverse swing, something which didn’t become a factor in the first Test but that Australia struggled to find against India, would be a key factor.”I know in Manuka we are going to have really different conditions. We played a Shield game there earlier this year and it was a pretty good wicket but probably more reverse than traditional swing.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos não teve dificuldades para vencer o Boca Juniors por 3 a 0, na Vila Belmiro, e se classificar para a grande final da Copa Libertadores 2020, onde enfrentará o Palmeiras. Apesar do jogo até certo ponto tranquilo, um jogador em campo não deixou de dar o próprio sangue: Lucas Verissimo.

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O zagueiro, que está muito próximo de ser anunciado oficialmente como o novo reforço do Benfica, de Portugal, sofreu um corte na cabeça em disputa pelo alto, ainda no 1º tempo, e precisou de atendimento médico. Mesmo com proteção e toca, foi difícil estancar o sangramento, mas o jogador permaneceu no campo até o fim da partida. Jogo esse que o fez entrar na lista dos dez atletas que mais vezes vestiram a camisa santista na principal competição continental.
O histórico duelo com o Boca foi o 25º de Verissimo na Libertadores pelo Peixe, igualando as marcas de Edu Dracena e Neymar, campeões com o clube em 2011. Os três agora dividem a 9ª posição no ranking, que é liderado pelo ex-lateral-esquerdo Léo.

JOGADORES COM MAIS JOGOS DE LIBERTADORES PELO SANTOS
– Dados OGol

1º – Léo – 45 jogos
2º – Elano – 43 jogos
3º – Fábio costa – 36 jogos
4º – Renato – 34 jogos
5º – Robinho – 31 jogos
6º – Adriano – 28 jogos
7º – Durval – 26 jogos
Rafael – 26 jogos
9º – Lucas Verissimo – 25 jogos
Neymar – 25 jogos
Edu Dracena – 25 jogos

Harry Kane felt the wrath of Arsenal fans after he caught Gabriel with a swinging elbow during Bayern Munich's Champions League clash.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Arsenal fans slammed Kane
• Caught Gabriel on his jaw with his elbow
• Gunners held to a 2-2 draw at home

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Tottenham Hotspur star narrowly escaped a red card on his return to England after he caught Arsenal defender Gabriel with a swinging elbow. Kane did get a booking for his actions, however, Gooners felt that the forward should have been handed a direct red card.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Arsenal fans at @theshortfuse were not impressed with Kane, posting on X: "Every Arsenal supporter knows that Harry Kane is that kind of player. He looked where Gabriel was and popped him with an elbow in the neck/jaw. Despicable player. Has always been one. Tries to hurt defenders."

  Another fan, @eduardohaghn, demanded a red card for the Bayern star as he wrote: "That’s a red card for Kane. Elbow on the throat."

  Meanwhile, @SuburbanGooner had some very strong words for the Bayern star: "Kane – a deliberate elbow. Not quite enough for a red but that’s the kind of scum move Kane has made a career of."

  Another user @afcjzmes called the England captain a 'nasty' player as he wrote, "Kane is a nasty, nasty footballer. Took a look for where Gabriel was and gave him a straight elbow to the face."

  And @afcstuff felt it was a deliberate move by the striker: "Only a yellow card for Harry Kane for what looks like an intentional elbow on Gabriel Magalhães."

• WHAT THE PUNDITS ARE SAYING

  CSB correspondent James Benge did not seem too surprised by the incident. He wrote on X, "Harry Kane is that sort of player."

  Football London journalist Kaya Kaynak added, "Kane booked for an elbow on Gabriel. Naughty that as he checked to see the #AFC defender coming."

  And Marca's Chris Winterburn felt the Bayern star got away with one, posting: "Kane is lucky there."

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bukayo Saka handed the hosts the lead in the 12th minute but former Gunners star Serge Gnabry cancelled the English winger's strike six minutes later as he netted the equaliser. Just minutes after the half an hour mark, Leroy Sane was brought down inside the penalty with Kane converted the resulting spot-kick to put his team in front. In the 76th minute, Gabriel Jesus made a brilliant move as he went past a couple of Bayern defenders before finding Leandro Trossard who found the back of the net.

With Bangladesh walking wounded in the absence of two of their seniormost players in Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, Zimbabwe may sense an opportunity

The Preview by Liam Brickhill20-Oct-2018Big PictureZimbabwe and Bangladesh know each other intimately. The teams have played each other far more than they have anyone else, and have a rich shared history.Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mashrafe Mortaza all debuted in ODIs against Zimbabwe, Mashrafe a whopping 17 years ago. On the Zimbabwe side, this is Hamilton Masakadza’s ninth tour to Bangladesh. Elton Chigumbura will also be making his ninth trip, while Brendan Taylor has made seven. Many of Zimbabwe’s squad members also have experience in domestic 20- and 50-over competitions here.In other words, they have come to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses extraordinarily well. In recent years, it is Bangladesh who have displayed more of those strengths, and Zimbabwe’s last away ODI victory against them came as long ago as 2010. Zimbabwe also arrive in the midst of a seven-month losing streak, having been whitewashed by both Pakistan and South Africa in their last two series. A change of fortunes wasn’t suggested by their performance in their warm-up game against a BCB XI on Friday. Masakadza scored a century and Chigumbura a battling 47, but no other batsman reached double figures and the visitors sank to an eight-wicket defeat.Yet, Zimbabwe may sense an opportunity in a Bangladesh squad who are walking wounded and missing two of their most senior players. Shakib’s recurring finger injury has ruled him out for another three months, while Tamim is yet to recover from the knuckle fracture he sustained after being struck by Suranga Lakmal in the opening Asia Cup match. Mashrafe and Mushfiqur have only recently recovered from injuries sustained in the same tournament, and neither is 100% fit. Even Mahmudullah was struggling with a little rib pain earlier this month.The visitors will look to target Bangladesh’s stand-ins. The opening partnership was an issue for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup – Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan’s 120-run stand in the final being the exception after Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar failed earlier in the tournament.That being said, Bangladesh still start Sunday’s game as firm favourites, and positive results in the next three games will obviously help their preparations for next year’s World Cup.Form guideBangladesh LWWLL ((last five completed matches, most recent first))
Zimbabwe LLLLLIn the spotlightAfter stringing together a series of 20s against South Africa, Hamilton Masakadza finally converted a start into a century in Zimbabwe’s warm-up. With his extensive experience of conditions in Bangladesh, Zimbabwe will look to their captain to set a platform for them at the top of the order. Masakadza has yet to win a game in his current stint in charge, and he has also registered just one fifty since he took over from Graeme Cremer after the World Cup Qualifiers meltdown.Liton Das seems to be in good nick. He scored a century in his last international innings, though his maiden ODI century was not enough to overcome India in the Asia Cup final. But he followed that up by racing to the fastest double-hundred in Bangladesh’s first-class history, smashing a record he in fact already held after his 190-ball double in April, by 50 deliveries. With Bangladesh eyeing potential opening partnerships for next year’s World Cup, quick runs at the top of the order on Sunday would definitely help to cement his place.AFPTeam newsRubel Hossain is suffering from fever, but he could yet be fit for the first game. As they tinker with the opening slot, Bangladesh may pick both Imrul Kayes and Nazmul Hossain Shanto in the top order alongside Liton Das. At No. 7, it is a three-way battle between Mohammad Saifuddin and the uncapped Ariful Haque and Fazle Mahmud.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das, 2 Nazmul Hossain Shanto, 3 Imrul Kayes, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Fazle Mahmud, 8 Mehidy Hasan, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Mustafizur RahmanSikandar Raza will slot straight back into a middle order that looks much more solid with him in it, but Zimbabwe have an opening conundrum to answer. Solomon Mire struggled through single-figure scores in South Africa, while Craig Ervine’s trial as a makeshift opener in the warm-up lasted just three balls before he was caught behind off Ebadot Hossain. Zimbabwe have also drafted Cephas Zhuwao into their squad, but the left-hander remains a hit-and-miss option.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Solomon Mire, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendan Taylor (wk), 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Brandon Mavuta, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Tendai ChataraPitch and conditionsThe usual slow turning pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium is expected. A 2:30pm start means that the side fielding first will have to endure only about 90 minutes of hot weather. It promises to be a pleasant evening.Stats and trivia Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have played each other 69 times in ODIs, with Bangladesh winning 27 games at home and 13 away. These two teams played each other in the very first ODI ever hosted at this ground back in 2006, Bangladesh winning that game by eight wickets. No player has scored more ODI runs against Bangladesh than Brendan Taylor, who has racked up 1222 runs in 46 innings. Both Masakadza and Chigumbura also have over 1000 runs against them Three Bangladesh players have scored over 1000 runs in ODIs against Zimbabwe but only one of them – Mushfiqur – is playing in this gameQuotes”We are not expecting the wicket to be slow or with turn right from the start. We are hoping for a good wicket. But since this is Mirpur, it is tough to predict how it will play.”
“Having everyone around is a big plus for the team. Apart from Graeme [Cremer] who is still injured, we have everyone around which is a positive for the team.”