Tag Futebol

It has not been the start to the season that many Chelsea fans were hoping for in the summer.

Enzo Maresca’s side are not necessarily playing poorly, but as things stand, they are ninth in the Premier League and have lost three of their last five in the competition.

The good news is that they have progressed to the next round of the League Cup, and Jamie Gittens finally put in a sensational performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

His three goal involvements in that game should take some of the heat off him, although with him starting to perform, another summer signing is looking even more perplexing, a signing who could be the new Jadon Sancho.

Sancho's record at Chelsea

Contrary to what many non-Chelsea fans believe, the Blues did, at one point, intend to sign Sancho upon the completion of his loan last season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

The deal they agreed with Manchester United the previous summer included an obligation to buy for £25m or a fee of £5m to send him back, and so initially, the club looked to keep him on a permanent basis.

However, according to reports, the reason they eventually paid to send him back to Old Trafford was because the Englishman refused to accept a pay cut to his massive weekly wage of up to £300k-per-week.

Such an astronomical salary would have been a ludicrous waste of money, as while the former Borussia Dortmund star had his moments here and there, he never blew anyone away during his time at Stamford Bridge.

For example, in 41 appearances across all competitions, the 25-year-old was only able to score five goals and provide ten assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.73 games, which is hardly the output of someone who can demand the wages he did.

Moreover, those numbers start to look even worse when you dig a little deeper.

Sancho’s Chelsea record

Games

41

Goals

5

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, two of his goals and five of his assists came in the Conference League, and while it was great that the club won the competition, the opposition they faced to do so were subpar at best.

In all, while it seemed like a good idea at the time, signing Sancho on loan last season was probably not worth it for Chelsea, and it looks like they made a similar mistake this summer.

Chelsea's Sancho repeat

While they haven’t all settled in just yet, it would be fair to say that Chelsea made several quite exciting signings this summer.

However, one signing that baffled fans and pundits alike at the time, and remains even more confusing, is that of Facundo Buonanotte.

The Blues signed the Argentine ace from Brighton & Hove Albion on a season-long loan with no option or obligation to buy, and while it’s not a terrible signing, there are a few reasons which make it a poor one.

For example, and this is a crucial one, he didn’t exactly light the world alight last season.

In his 35 appearances for Leicester City, the supposedly “magnificent” youngster, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored six goals and provided three assists, with seven of those goal involvements coming in the league.

Such a middling return just makes the Blues’ decision to bring him to the club on a short-term basis all the more baffling, as it’s not like he was an output machine last year.

This leads to the second problem with the move, which is that, if he’s only meant to play the less important games, why couldn’t the club give their own academy products that chance?

Surely it makes more sense to build up the experience of your own prospects over that of Brighton’s.

Finally, when he has actually played for Maresca, he’s not impressed.

In his five appearances thus far, the Pérez-born gem has scored a single goal, and that came against the mighty Lincoln City in the League Cup.

Ultimately, Buonanotte’s lack of impact last season, his underwhelming displays so far this season, and the fact that he could be blocking the pathway for a Cobham graduate just make his loan move more baffling with every passing gameweek.

Related Maresca can soon unleash "phenomenal" Delap upgrade at Chelsea in 2026

Delap’s place in the Chelsea side could soon be under threat.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 31, 2025

أعلن المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر، حلمي طولان، عن قائمة البدلاء استعدادًا لمواجهة الكويت اليوم الثلاثاء، في افتتاح مشوار الفراعنة ببطولة كأس العرب 2025.

وتُقام المباراة على استاد البيت، أحد الملاعب الرئيسية للبطولة، في مجموعة تضم إلى جانب مصر والكويت، منتخبي الإمارات والأردن. يسعى الفريقان لتحقيق انطلاقة قوية تضعهما على طريق المنافسة على التأهل من الدور الأول.

ويأمل منتخب مصر في استثمار خبرات لاعبيه الشباب والقدامى تحت قيادة طولان، لتقديم أداء متميز منذ البداية، مع التركيز على حصد النقاط الثلاث وضمان الانطلاقة المثالية في البطولة العربية.

في المقابل، يدخل منتخب الكويت المباراة بمعنويات مرتفعة بعد تأهله من مرحلة الملحق، ويطمح إلى مواجهة الفراعنة بقوة وإثبات قدرته على المنافسة في واحدة من أبرز مباريات اليوم.

طالع أيضًا | تشكيل منتخب مصر الثاني أمام الكويت في كأس العرب.. شريف يقود الهجوم بدلاء منتخب مصر أمام الكويت اليوم في كأس العرب

علي لطفي، محمد عواد، أحمد هاني، كريم فؤاد، كريم العراقي، محمود حمدي “الونش”، هادي رياض، محمد مجدي “أفشة”، ميدو جابر، محمد مسعد، حسام حسن، مروان حمدي.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos venceu de virada a Inter de Limeira por 3 a 2 neste sábado (9), na Vila Belmiro, pela última rodada da fase de grupos do Campeonato Paulista. Os gols do Peixe foram marcados por Julio Furch (2x) e Cazares. Quirino (2x) anotou para os visitantes.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos

Com o resultado, o Peixe assegurou a segunda melhor campanha na fase regular do torneio estadual e encara a Portuguesa nas quartas de final da competição. A equipe do interior, por sua vez, enfrenta o Bragantino, em Bragança Paulista.

⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

O Santos encontrou dificuldades para criar oportunidades na primeira etapa e viu Quirino, atacante rival, abrir o placar. No lance seguinte, Furch marcou de cabeça e igualou o marcador. Bem na partida, a equipe visitante viu Quirino vencer o duelo contra a zaga do Peixe e marcar seu segundo gol no duelo.

continua após a publicidade

A segunda etapa foi de domínio total do time de Fábio Carille. Furch. De pênalti, Furch igualou o marcador, e Cazares, nos minutos finais, virou a partida.

✅O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

Nas quartas de final do Paulistão, o Santos encara a Portuguesa, no domingo (17), na Vila Belmiro.

✅ SANTOS 3 X 2 INTER DE LIMEIRA
Campeonato Paulista – Primeira fase – Décima Segunda Rodada

Data e horário: Sábado, 9 de Março de 2024, às 18h00 (de Brasília)
Local: Vila Belmiro, Santos (SP)
Árbitro: Matheus Delgado Candançan
Assistentes: Luiz Alberto Andrini Nogueira e Mauro Freitas

continua após a publicidade

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES

SANTOS
João Paulo; Hayner, Joaquim, Gil e Felipe Jonatan; Nonato, Rincón e Cazares; Otero, Pedrinho e Furch. Técnico: Fábio Carille

INTER DE LIMEIRA
Max; JP Galvão, Jussani, Mancini e César; Émerson, Lima e Bochecha; João Felipe, Albano e Quirino. Técnico: Júnior Rocha

Tudo sobre

Campeonato PaulistaFutebol Nacional

Chelsea and Argentina star Enzo Fernandez has switched agents as he links up with former Paris Saint-Germain star and compatriot Javier Pastore's agency. The World Cup-winning midfielder has been a key figure in the Blues' dressing room since joining them from Benfica in January 2023 for a then-record fee. In the current season, Fernandez has appeared in 22 matches in all competitions and scored five goals.

Fernandez switches agent

Fernandez was previously managed by former Uruguayan footballer Uriel Perez but, as of December 2025, the Argentine has parted ways with Perez to sign for a new agency named The Elegant Game, according to . The company was co-founded by former Argentina international and PSG star Pastore.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCould Fernandez leave Chelsea?

The change of agent could spark rumours of Fernandez seeking a possible move away from Stamford Bridge. However, there have been no concrete reports on the midfielder parting ways with the Premier League giants in recent times. In April 2025, the 24-year-old was linked with a move to La Liga giants Real Madrid, however, Chelsea were ready to do all they could to keep the midfielder in their set-up. Ultimately, Los Blancos never made a formal offer for Fernandez.

Fernandez recalls winning World Cup with Messi

In a recent interview, Fernandez reflected on winning the World Cup for Argentina with the legendary Lionel Messi in 2022 in Qatar. Recalling the most memorable moment of his life, the Chelsea star told : "Winning the World Cup with Messi was incredible. We were fully motivated because our team grew up watching Leo at home on TV. We’d been fighting for it for many years and Messi had unfinished business. I’m so proud that I was able to share that moment with him and win the World Cup alongside him, knowing what it meant to him and all of us. Of course, we all wanted to do it for him because it was the only sporting achievement missing for him.

"He’s a great person and I’m so proud to share these moments with him. He’s the greatest of all time, so it’s a privilege to share the dressing room with him. It’s a huge thing for me and I’m really enjoying it. I try to make the most of every moment spent with him."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportFernandez's injury problem ahead of World Cup year

Fernandez struggled with knee problems a couple of months back and had was sidelined for a few games for the Blues. He even pulled out of back-to-back Argentina squads during the October and November international break as he did not want to aggravate his injury further ahead of his nation's title defence campaign in North America next summer.

Before pulling out of the national team squad in November, the midfielder had said: "I will not be available with Argentina. I was just talking to the medical team because I had a problem with my knee in the last four months. I came with a bone edema that got worse in the last weeks and months because we played a lot of games. I think the most important thing is coming to the end of the season and I think it's good to make this decision together. Always respecting the doctors and everything."

Fernandez will be back in action for Enzo Maresca's side on Saturday as they host Everton in a difficult Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge.

While no official decision has been made, it is understood that the selectors are mulling changes

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Nov-2025

Charith Asalanka hasn’t been among the runs lately•MB Media/Getty Images

Sri Lanka may sack T20 captain Charith Asalanka two months out from a home World Cup. Chief selector Upul Tharanga insisted no decision over the captaincy had yet been made, but did confirm that the selectors were mulling changes.According to Tharanga, Asalanka’s poor form in T20Is has prompted this re-evaluation. That Asalanka was sent home ahead of the ongoing tri-series in Pakistan was only due to illness, or so at least team management has claimed. In any case, it is possible he has captained his last T20 match for Sri Lanka.”We have to weigh our best options after this series,” said Tharanga, when asked whether the selectors were considering a change in captaincy. “With a World Cup so close we can’t make a lot of big changes. The selectors, after talking to the coach, will have to make a decision on what’s best for the team.”Related

SSC ground in Sri Lanka to get floodlights for men's T20 World Cup

Nissanka's 98* keeps Sri Lanka's hopes of making tri-series final alive

Tharanga indicated that the selectors had been mulling a change to the leadership even before the ongoing tour of Pakistan, which is why they had appointed Dasun Shanaka – who has captained Sri Lanka before – vice-captain for the tour. “That was to give us another option,” Tharanga said.Still, no firm decision has been made, he said.”Still Charith is our captain. It’s because of an illness to Charith that we appointed Dasun as our stand-in captain. Charith is still the captain in our plans. We haven’t made a decision to change that. We’ve planned all along for Charith to captain this World Cup. We’ll see what happens. We haven’t made a decision about that yet.”Charith hasn’t been among the runs in T20s, and because of an illness he was forced to return home, unfortunately.”Asalanka had never quite established himself as a reliable T20I batter, with a strike rate of 126 across 68 innings. He’s been modest in 2025 too, having scored only 156 runs in 12 innings this year, with a strike rate of 122. Sri Lanka have won 11 and lost 14 matches under Asalanka’s captaincy.Still, his return from Pakistan ahead of the tri-series serious prompted speculation in local media. One theory suggested Asalanka had been among the players who opposed remaining in Pakistan following a suicide bombing in Islamabad, and that his being sent home was punishment for voicing opinions that ran counter to board wishes. As the tri-series runs for two weeks, teams would generally keep a player in the squad until they make a recovery, especially if that player is captain.Tharanga said it was illness that forced the selectors’ hand.”He had a viral fever, and he had body aches,” Tharanga said of Asalanka. “The physio told us that it’s hard for him to predict when Charith would get better, and that’s why we had to make that decision.”We’ve also had a problem in the middle order, and we’ve not been consistent there. If he couldn’t play, we needed to have someone else there. That’s why we brought Charith to Sri Lanka.”Tharanga envisioned Asalanka playing a role in Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign with the bat.”Charith is a very talented cricketer, with a lot of experience. I’m sure he’ll be an important cricketer for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup. We’ve seen what he can do in the middle order, where sometimes he’s won games by himself. He’s in our World Cup plans.”

Devine and Halliday’s fifties took New Zealand from 38 for 3 to 227 before their bowlers bundled out Bangladesh

Shashank Kishore10-Oct-2025

Sophie Devine took 65 balls to hit her first boundary•AFP/Getty Images

The less-experienced teams have often been challenged to sustain levels of dominance over longer periods at this World Cup. Bangladesh alone have found themselves in this situation three times. While they prevailed over Pakistan in their opening game, they haven’t been able to match England or New Zealand’s might.On Friday, Bangladesh’s moment of reckoning was when they had woven a web around New Zealand’s top order. Rabeya Khan, the legspinner, was getting them to rip and fizz off the Guwahati pitch. At 38 for 3, the moment was theirs to seize. They couldn’t. Eventually, they conceded 227 for 9, which proved to be 100 too many, as New Zealand got off the mark after losses to Australia and South Africa.Like she had done in those two games, Sophie Devine stood like a rock. And batted without the typical flair or enterprise she is known to bring. She was willing to dig in, play patiently, look ugly, and fight the conditions – both in terms of the heat and the surface – to eke out a half-century that she would consider perhaps far more valuable than the century she got against Australia in a losing cause just last week in Indore.If Devine’s half-century was the pillar, Brooke Halliday’s was the icing on the cake for the inventiveness. Like she briefly did against South Africa, Halliday negated the spin threat by sweeping the bowlers off their lengths. This isn’t to say she was over-aggressive at all times; she was measured to begin with and took calculated risks as her partnership with Devine progressed.They put on 112, and it took them 166 balls. But for much of that duration, they didn’t show the desperation to break free. Halliday top-scored with 69 before falling to trigger another mini-wobble. Her attempt to play a slog sweep led to a top-edge pouched by Nigar Sultana, and Devine was out trying to hack one over cow corner, in the same over where she had hit offspinner Nishita Akter for two sixes back-to-back.Brooke Halliday played the sweep to good effect•ICC/Getty Images

Fortunately, New Zealand were helped by late cameos from Maddy Green, Lea Tahuhu and Isabella Gaze, who combined to add 49 to help give the innings a late lift. New Zealand pocketed 74 off the last ten overs to have momentum with them at the halfway mark.Any chance Bangladesh had to take the game head-on was in the powerplay. But their top order looked diffident, with their inadequacies against the swing and seam of Jess Kerr and Rosemary Mair exposed. They hardly played an aggressive shot in the first ten overs, and quickly found themselves 22 for 3. This included the wicket of Sobhana Mostary. The half-centurion from their previous game against England was out for 2, to a leading edge to short third off Jess Kerr.If Bangladesh went spin, New Zealand continued to frontload with pace. After a thoroughly impressive first spell from Jess Kerr and Mair, Lea Tahuhu showed she has still got her bag of tricks, profiting not as much from raw pace but subtle changes in length and seam movement. Bowling the hard length, she had Sumaiya Akter chipping one to cover, and then had Shorna Akter lbw with a superb nip-backer. At 33 for 6, it was only a matter of time before Bangladesh folded.Fahima Khatun and Rabeya then resisted to add 44 for the eighth wicket to prolong New Zealand’s wait. Fahima’s early reprieve, when Gaze put down a regulation chance, helped her extend her stay. She was eventually the last batter out for 34 after stonewalling her way through 80 deliveries, with Bangladesh bowled out for 127 in 39.5 overs.Despite the win, New Zealand would reflect on their top-order woes that they would want to fix heading to Colombo. Suzie Bates did score 29 off 33 on Friday, her first runs in the World Cup, but Amelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer were once again not able to force the pace in the powerplay. For now, Devine seems to be raising the bar with every innings, but with more trial by spin to come, they will do well to have the top order contributing more.

One of the big issues Ruben Amorim has faced at Manchester United during a tough first season in charge at the club is the number of goals his side have conceded.

United have let in 100 goals in just 53 matches, only five more than they’ve scored.

This is certainly a huge concern for their boss, who, as a result, doesn’t have the strongest record despite going unbeaten in their last four games. Amorim has won 22 games and lost 21 during his year-long tenure so far, with a big reason for that such a shaky defensive record.

That is in spite of the strong performance of Matthijs de Ligt this season.

Why De Ligt has been so important for Man Utd

Despite their unbeaten run of four Premier League games, United’s defence have left a lot to be desired once again this term. The 16 top-flight goals they have conceded is better than just five teams.

However, De Ligt’s performances as the central centre-back in Amorim’s infamous back three have been excellent. The 26-year-old has been a key member of Amoirm’s backline with United’s number 4 having racked up 90 minutes in all ten of their Premier League games.

H, football analyst and host of The Overlap: The Breakdown, has been full of praise for the Dutchman. He described him as a “great box defender” and said he “steps up in the press so well.”

In some instances, he has put up better numbers than one of the best centre-backs in world football, Arsenal star Gabriel.

The Brazilian, described as the Premier League’s “number one” centre-back by pundit Paul Merson, averages 2.1 tackles and interceptions and wins 3.3 aerial duels per 90 minutes. In comparison, De Ligt has made 2.7 tackles and interceptions and won 3.7 aerial duels each game.

Both defensive warriors for their teams, the similarities between the two are clear to see, but there is a United player who has been even more similar to Gabriel this term.

Man United's own Gabriel

One of the big upsides to Gabriel’s game is not just his defending, but his set-piece threat. The Brazilian has “been the main exponent” from set pieces for the Gunners, with his side bagging 12 this season already.

Whilst that is double the number United have managed, they do rank joint-fourth in the top flight for set-piece goals with six.

Casemiro has been one of the biggest threats from those situations, with football content creator Lyes describing him as “one of the best setpiece threats we’ve [United] had in years.”

Indeed, the Brazilian’s most recent strike came from a set-piece. He headed home a Bruno Fernandes corner against Nottingham Forest last Saturday, the third goal he has scored this season. His first strike of the campaign against Chelsea was not directly from a set piece, but was a header from the phase after.

Standing at 6 foot 1 and with a powerful leap on him, it is easy to see why Casemiro dominates from set pieces. His 2.31 aerial duels won per 90 minutes rank him in the top 5% of Premier League midfielders.

However, is not just from deadball scenarios that the vastly experienced 33-year-old has shone for United.

The former Real Madrid star has been excellent in the pivot alongside Fernandes, with his 5.03 tackles and interceptions each game placing him in the 98th percentile for English top-flight midfielders.

Passes into penalty area

1.08

80th

Blocks

2.34

99th

Tackles and interceptions

5.03

98th

Clearances

2.46

89th

Aerial duels won

2.31

95th

As important as De Ligt has been for United this season, their number 18 has been equally as vital. With his set piece threat, you can easily draw comparisons to Brazil teammate Gabriel, and his work off the ball in the pivot has been second to none.

Football statistician Statman Dave described him as a “monster” for the Red Devils this season. It is fair to say Casemiro is living up to that praise, with some superb showings.

Man Utd have a "beast" in the academy who's another Casemiro in the making

Manchester United would benefit from the emergence of the next Carrington superstar this season.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 5, 2025

Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki was called out on an unfortunately timed pitch clock violation during the first inning of Monday's game against the Kansas City Royals.

On Suzuki's first plate appearance, he fouled a pitch off himself, hitting his upper leg region in multiple spots while facing a full count. Suzuki then briefly walked away from the plate, as he appeared to be experiencing some discomfort. He was then ruled out for a pitch clock violation, the Cubs' third out of the game to end the first inning.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell did not seem happy with this decision, and came up onto the field to plead his case to the umpire. Suzuki was seemingly hurt after hitting himself with the foul, and likely should have been given that moment to re-gather himself instead of getting called out.

Fortunately, that missed opportunity doesn't appear to have cost the Cubs too much. Through three innings, the Cubs lead the Royals 4-1 thanks to a three-run home run from Matt Shaw and a solo home run from Carson Kelly.

He has been one of cricket’s most laidback vibes for years but in leadership is revealing some of his more intense, driven, and occasionally unforgiving forms

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Jun-2025″Most teams sort of become an image of their captain, right?” These were the thoughts of Brendon McCullum, who over a 21-year career in international cricket has perhaps shaped the tenor of Test-match cricket more than any other single figure this century.Right now, this Sri Lanka Test team is being crafted by Dhananjaya de Silva. And his cricketing DNA and his vision for where the team could go are all over the enterprise. The team, increasingly, is becoming a reflection.For starters, there is an emphasis on utility. How many skills can you bring to the table is a primary question. De Silva frequently fields at slip himself, is the kind of captain who finds reasons to bowl his offspin, has just launched himself up the order to No. 4, and cannot stand letting a game drift. If wickets are not forthcoming, there is a new field in place, a new angle of attack he encourages, a fresh problem he puts in front of the batter to solve. There is, you sense, no play that he doesn’t want to be part of.Related

Sri Lanka focusing on better scoring rate, bowling more maidens this WTC cycle

Dhananjaya de Silva: SL missed 'big chance' to make WTC final

Hit the deck, break a neck, still no cheque: the quiet sacrifice of SL's red-ball quicks

Kusal Mendis counterattack balloons Sri Lanka's lead before Bangladesh collapse

It follows that this Sri Lanka XI for the Colombo Test has two spin-bowling allrounders, an opener and a No. 3 who can potentially keep wicket (Lahiru Udara stood in for 38.4 overs as Kusal Mendis was unavailable through injury). Then there is one frontline bowler who can bowl with either arm and can bat a bit, one top-order batter who bowls a bit with either arm, a left-arm seamer, a right-arm seamer, and a spin bowler who is frequently happy to strap the pads on and produce a brave showing as nightwatcher.This is, essentially, a team of generalists. If you’re going to specialise, buddy, you better be damn good at that one thing. The three single-discipline players – Pathum Nissanka, Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando – have all acquitted themselves nicely in this match. It’s worth mentioning on Asitha and Vishwa’s behalf that de Silva has insisted that more seam bowlers play home Tests for Sri Lanka, despite having been blooded in a team that found seam bowling at home essentially redundant in the late 2010s.De Silva himself has not been in especially good batting form, but he has found ways to be central to Sri Lanka’s progress in this series. He has also been visibly more of a general than he has previously been. On day three, he took two vital wickets, pinning form batter Najmul Hossain Shanto in front of the stumps soon after having Mominul Haque caught at slip. He also dismissed Mominul in the first innings.De Silva began this WTC cycle by laying out to his team how intently he wanted them to get to the final•AFP/Getty ImagesDe Silva’s bowling is not especially menacing – he doesn’t get the kind of drift or the ragging turn, or possess the subtleties that might make him a wicket-taking option on flatter tracks. But on pitches that give him a little to work with – left-armers’ footmarks, a little dryness underneath the surface, a tackiness off the deck – he can find ways to strike. He already has more Test wickets than Angelo Mathews or Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka players he can be most readily compared to.This is the first World Test Championship [WTC] cycle he is in charge of from the beginning, so he seems especially intent on putting his mark on what he sees as a trophy campaign. Although for captains such as Ben Stokes, “there was nothing wrong with Test cricket before” the WTC, for the likes of de Silva, it has become a cycle to build an entire team identity around. In the first two Tests of this cycle, there have been three debutants. Milan Rathnayake, another allrounder, may not have been elevated to international cricket as he has had de Silva not been a key decision-maker.De Silva himself had revealed that he told his team how close they had been to the last WTC final, and how intently he wanted them to get to that final in this cycle. Kamindu Mendis, Sri Lanka’s best Test batter of the last 18 months, affirmed that that was a major driver.”We were close in the last two cycles,” Kamindu said. “In the one just past, we actually had a big opportunity. Honestly, our team plan is built around the WTC. We’re trying to correct the mistakes of the last two cycles. This time, we’ve got a good start. If we keep going like this, I think we can achieve what we are aiming for.”Aesthetically, de Silva has been one of cricket’s most laidback vibes for years. He plays in a long-sleeved jersey with a popped half-collar. His drives are pure. His pulls are languid. Even the sweeps have grace. The sleeve tattoo on his arm has a floral design. In nine years of international cricket, there have never been angry de Silva moments. There have been plenty of chill ones.This is a cricketer comfortable with the softer parts of his personality, but who, in leadership, is now revealing some of his more intense, driven, and occasionally unforgiving forms. If he is fashioning this Test team like a knife-maker hones an edge, he may soon quite clearly see his own image looking back at him.

“Keen to build on the success” of the recently concluded Women’s World Cup, the ICC has agreed to expand the next edition of the tournament (2029) to ten teams. The ICC had announced the expansion of the women’s game on International Women’s Day back in 2021, and a recent release reaffirmed the board’s “commitment to the growth of women’s cricket” after the success of the 2025 edition.Since 2000, only eight teams have featured in the main tournament of the Women’s ODI World Cup. As compared to the 31 matches in the recent World Cup, the 2029 edition will have 10 teams playing 48 games.The Women’s T20 World Cup next year will also be expanded to 12 teams, up from the 10 that featured last year in the UAE.”Nearly 300,000 fans watched the event in stadia breaking the record for tournament attendance for any women’s Cricket event,” the ICC release said. “The tournament also witnessed viewership growth and new records being set for on-screen audiences across the world with nearly 500 million viewers in India.”The ICC board also ratified the appointment of a number of members of the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee, namely Ashley De Silva, Mithali Raj, Amol Muzumdar, Ben Sawyer, Charlotte Edwards, and Sala Stella Siale-Vaea.

Cricket at the LA 2028 Olympics and Brisbane 2032

The Board also revealed that the Olympics event in Los Angeles in 2028 will have 28 games in total, across both the men’s and women’s competitions. The six teams in each competition will comprise the top-ranked side from each of the five regions (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania), including the hosts USA. The sixth team will be identified through a qualifier, for which details are not currently known. The events, as reported earlier, will begin on July 12 and be played at the purpose-built Fairgrounds Stadium, around 50km outside of Los Angeles.Before then, cricket will also feature in multi-sport games at the Asian Games in 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, the African Games in Cairo, Egypt, in 2027 as well as the PanAm Games in Lima, Peru, in 2027.Talks have also begun on cricket’s inclusion for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, Australia. Sanjog Gupta, the ICC CEO, is believed to have told members at the meeting that he held “meaningful discussions with Brisbane 2032 for cricket’s inclusion in their program.Along with the ICC chair Jay Shah, Gupta had meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland, recently with teams from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), LA28 and Brisbane 2032, where they discussed event delivery, competition formats and qualification scenarios.

ICC starts bids for mobile gaming

The ICC also confirmed that it will begin a bidding process for its mobile cricket game, which has been at the centre of tensions between the governing body and the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA). “The ICC Board confirmed its approval to issue an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for Video Gaming Rights, opening the door for leading global partners to collaborate with the ICC in delivering world-class, digital fan experiences,” the board said in the statement.The dispute between the ICC and the WCA centred over NIL (Name, Image and Likeliness) rights of the players, with the latter claiming any move by the ICC to develop a game featuring players would be in breach of a contract. The ICC decided earlier this year that member boards would deal directly with players over NIL rights, rather than with the WCA who have those rights to about 600 players and have already entered the gaming market. The ICC had launched an Expression of Interest process in June, but it has taken time for boards to negotiate those rights with their players. It isn’t clear yet exactly how many boards have secured the rights, though one estimate is that at least half of the Full Members have.