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Arsenal are now in “advanced” talks to sign a marquee player ahead of interest from Premier League champions Liverpool, with new sporting director Andrea Berta reportedly making an eventful start to life as Edu’s successor.

Mikel Arteta's future questioned after trophyless Arsenal season

Discounting the Community Shield, it has been five years since Arsenal last won a major trophy.

Arsenal risk Huijsen repeat after Zubimendi update involving Real Madrid

The Gunners have already been hijacked by La Liga’s heavyweights.

ByEmilio Galantini May 16, 2025

Mikel Arteta guided them to FA Cup glory during the COVID pandemic in 2020, clinching a piece of silverware amid his first campaign in charge of the club, but there has been precious little in the way of honours since then.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

You can make a serious argument that this is largely down to Man City’s invincibility over the last few years, barring this campaign, with Arsenal racking up a brilliant 89 points last term only for Pep Guardiola’s side to eventually take all the plaudits.

As per the above table, Arsenal have invested significantly in the squad, and some debate is even beginning to arise over whether Arteta is the right manager to end the club’s two-decade-long-plus wait for a league title.

They’ve undoubtedly evolved into an elite-level side under Arteta’s tenure, as their run to the Champions League semi-finals highlights, so reports of a potential exit for the 43-year-old have been few and far between, with the consensus being that Arsenal are continuing to show faith in him.

“It’s a great achievement, in 2025, to not win a trophy for five years and still be the manager at a top club that isn’t under pressure – from us, from anybody in the football community or even anyone in the Arsenal fanbase,” said Sky pundit Gary Neville.

“That’s an incredible achievement because we thought those days were gone whereby you can have this type of patience being afforded to you. I think it’s a good thing: normally with five years without a trophy you’d ordinarily see a manager be under pressure.

“That’s significant in that you think there is progression.”

Arsenal in advanced talks to sign Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres

However, this may not last for long if Arsenal don’t end their trophy drought soon, and Berta has every intention of backing Arteta with key signings that will reinforce the squad and hand Arteta the best possible chance of achieving glory. Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres is a top target, according to widespread reports.

The “massively underrated” Sweden international appears destined to leave Sporting after a haul of 50 goals in all competitions, and some media sources suggest Arsenal have already offered him personal terms worth £135,000-per-week to join them (A Bola).

Now, CaughtOffside shares some more intriguing news about the saga. The outlet reports that Arsenal’s talks to sign Gyokeres are at an “advanced” stage, and they are currently leading the chase for his signature ahead of both Liverpool and Man United.

Arteta’s side are apparently closing in on a five-year deal for the striker, but CO claim it is actually worth around £9 million-per-year, rather than the previously mooted £7 million.

While Liverpool and United are still contending, it is reiterated that Arsenal are in pole position, with the ex-Coventry City star, who has an £84 million release clause in his contract, seemingly nearing a return to England.

Chelsea have submitted a £30m offer for an “extraordinary” midfielder, who is keen on a move to the Premier League this summer, according to a report.

Blues planning to strengthen several positions

The Blues haven’t been shy to splash the cash during the Todd Boehly era, and it appears as though they could be gearing up for another summer of heavy spending, having identified targets in a number of key positions.

A new striker is of particular interest, and talks have now been opened over a deal for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, who would ideally arrive at Stamford Bridge prior to the beginning of the Club World Cup in June.

In terms of centre-back targets, AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen appears to be among the main candidates, with the west Londoners entering discussions for the 19-year-old, while AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez could be brought in at left-back.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Apr 12, 2025

Another position in which Enzo Maresca clearly feels he needs to strengthen is central midfield, despite both Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez putting in some impressive performances this season.

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea have now submitted a €35m (£30m) offer for Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso, but they are not alone in their pursuit, with Premier League rivals Bournemouth making a bid of the same value.

The Blues have been interested in Cardoso for quite some time, and they have now presented a concrete offer for his services, which could be tempting for the Spanish side.

The midfielder wants to move to the Premier League this summer, which indicates he could be keen on heading to Stamford Bridge, but he may have a number of options on the table, with several foreign teams thought to be keen.

"Extraordinary" Cardoso impressing in Spain

It is little wonder the American is starting to attract attention from across Europe, given that he has been impressing for Betis for quite some time, particularly catching the eye from a defensive point of view.

The 23-year-old ranks extremely highly across some key metrics for midfielders over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

2.66 (75th percentile)

Interceptions

2.07 (98th percentile)

Clearances

2.47 (91st percentile)

Aerials won

1.59 (85th percentile)

Not only that, but the Betis star has received very high praise from sporting director Manu Fajardo, who lauded the central midfielder as “extraordinary”, while he has also caught the eye of freelance scout Ben Mattinson.

Cardoso could be an excellent signing for Chelsea, although bringing in a new defensive midfielder shouldn’t be a priority this summer, given that Caicedo and Fernandez have both impressed this season.

Bangladesh have a rare chance of starting a fresh day with ten wickets in hand, and they have Shadman and Zakir to thank for that

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2024One thing batters do not look forward to is to face twelve overs of bowling after spending the whole day fielding. Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam’s brave faces weren’t fooling anyone in Rawalpindi. Justin Langer wrote in his autobiography about wanting the twilight challenge, but few are cut from the same cloth.Zakir and Shadman are Bangladesh’s tenth different opening pair in the last three years. After Shan Masood declared the Pakistan innings on 448 for 6 at 4.34 pm local time, they were set to face at least an hour of hellfire from Pakistan’s pace attack. And they did… okay. They blunted Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, and annoyed Khurram Shahzad a little bit. That’s not a bad evening’s work. They have a more work to do but for now this will do.Related

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The expectations of Bangladesh’s batters have been so low these days that going twelve overs unscathed felt like a big deal. On a tough day for Bangladesh, Shadman and Zakir looked in control to ensure the visitors left the ground with some respite. Shadman is returning to the Test side after 16 months while Zakir is playing his first overseas Test. The pair played out 58 dot balls in the twelve overs and even hit three fours.Batting coach David Hemp wore a smile at the end of the day. He looked like one of those dads who watching their kids’ recital and mouthing their lines along with them. Hemp had received good news earlier in the day from the Islamabad Club where Saif Hassan and Jaker Ali struck hundreds for Bangladesh A. He was however more pleased with what he saw in Rawalpindi.”It is always a challenge to bat for a limited time in the back end of the day,” Hemp said. “After being in the field for five hours. We are really pleased not to lose wickets, but more importantly their approach. They are still trying to capitalise on scoring options. I also felt that they made good judgements about leaving the ball.”Shadman’s recent form should provide some confidence. He made 88 against Pakistan A in Darwin recently. Zakir didn’t have a good outing against Pakistan A in Islamabad last week, but he was beginning to forge a solid partnership with Mahmudul Hasan Joy, whose groin injury kept him out of this Test.Zakir Hasan cuts the ball•Associated PressHemp added that the rest of the Bangladesh batters are also prepared to take on the Pakistan attack. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque are up next, followed by the veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, and Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz lower down the order.”From what we are seeing in the preparation period, they have all been striking the ball well and getting into good positions,” Hemp said. “They are all confident that they can contribute to the team. We have depth in the batting order with Litton at seven and Mehidy at eight.”[Pakistan] have four good seamers and a reasonable spinner. They have bowling options. They are a good attack. It is going to be a challenge. The priority is to bat the day. We have to negotiate each session, and then see where we are.”Hemp also expected the lower order to contribute runs, citing how the Bangladesh tail stood up against New Zealand in their last Test win, in November 2023.”The mantra in the team is for everyone to be able to contribute,” he said. “Everyone is expected to bat as much as possible. For us internally, we look at contributions from the lower order. We are more interested in balls faced than runs from No 9, 10 and 11. During the New Zealand series at home last year, the last four batters averaged 33 to 34 balls per innings. That’s 120 balls, which kept New Zealand in the field for 20 extra overs. It had a massive impact on the game. For us it is a really important factor.”Shakib, Shanto and Litton have not been among the runs. Mominul and Mushfiqur are low on game time, while Mehidy is also returning from a considerable break. Bangladesh will need a massive effort from the batters to get even in this Test.

Left-arm spinner picks up 4 for 48 to help India A take a first-innings lead of 56 after they were bowled out for 293

Ashish Pant16-Sep-2022Saurabh Kumar has made a habit of dismissing key batters in the opposition camp. Be it the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy quarter-final, where he sent back R Samarth, Manish Pandey and Mayank Agarwal to finish with seven wickets in the match, or the semi-final, where he got rid of centurion Hardik Tamore in the first innings before snapping up Prithvi Shaw in the second – Saurabh has delivered the telling blows.On Friday, the left-arm spinner was at it again, picking up the important scalps against New Zealand A in the third unofficial Test. His 4 for 48 helped India A take a first-innings lead of 56 after they were bowled out for 293.Related

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The home side needed early wickets on day two, and Mukesh Kumar and Rahul Chahar did just that, reducing the visitors to 99 for 5. Butthen came a 114-run partnership between the two Auckland boys Mark Chapman and Sean Solia. With the pitch assisting both seamers and spinners, the duo decided to take the aggressive route. Chapman, in particular, picked up boundaries consistently. He had recently spoken about his love for playing the sweeps and reverse sweeps, and he unfurled them in abundance against Chahar and Saurabh on either side of the tea break.With stroke-making suddenly looking easy, the pitch unresponsive, and the bowling flat, India A captain Priyank Panchal looked bereft of options. This was when Saurabh stepped up.He was happy to play the waiting game, varying his pace and lengths, enticing both Chapman and Solia to go for their shots. In fact, Chapman took him for 32 runs off 23 balls, but the bowler had the final say.Having already hit Saurabh for two sixes, Chapman looked to clear the ropes again. This time, though, Saurabh saw him coming down and pulled his length back. Chapman was unable to reach the pitch of the ball and ended up offering Rajat Patidar a comfortable catch at long-on for 92. Soon after, Solia too fell to an expansive pull for 54, and New Zealand A, who at one point threatened to take a lead, were all out for 237.But what was going through Saurabh’s mind when New Zealand seemed like taking the game away?”Chapman was batting well during that partnership [and the plan was] he should not be given runs for a while so that he makes some mistakes on his own,” Saurabh said after the day’s play. “There was a good partnership between the bowlers from both the ends and he got out looking for runs.Mark Chapman scored 32 off the 23 balls he faced from Saurabh Kumar•Manoj Bookanakere/KSCA”I was mixing the pace – slow, fast, slow, fast. The pitch required that the pace should be changed and I did exactly that.”Saurabh is a man of few words. Quiz him repeatedly about his mindset and approach ahead of a match, and all he says is that he tries to keep things simple.But his bowling is anything but simple. He might not have a lot of variations, but he has got control over his craft. It is his this quality that has fetched him 109 wickets in 21 matches at 21.30 in the last three Ranji Trophy seasons, and a call-up to India A and eventually to the Test side for the tour to Sri Lanka.Though he did not get a game for India, he got the opportunity to interact with the senior players. “The experience was great, there was a lot to learn,” Saurabh said. “I talked to Jadeja , Ashwin , and it was great. Wherever there will be opportunities to play, I will play and try to give my best.”While he is primarily a bowler, Saurabh has been working hard on his batting. He was padded up to come in as nightwatcher in case India A lost a second wicket in their second innings. He was not needed but made sure to take a few throwdowns before sitting down to talk with the reporters. Does he have the ambition of transitioning into an allrounder, then? Saurabh was coy.”I will definitely want to contribute with the bat but I am a bowler who bats a little bit,” he said. “I try to keep improving myself, be it bowling or batting. I practise well.”And that practice is producing results too.

The statistical highlights from a day that England dominated in Galle

S Rajesh15-Jan-2021168* – Joe Root’s score at the end of the second day in Galle. It is the highest by an England batsman in Sri Lanka, going past Kevin Pietersen’s 151 in Colombo in 2012. There are only three instances of an overseas captain scoring more runs in an innings in Sri Lanka: Stephen Fleming’s unbeaten knocks of 274 and 174, and Mushfiqur Rahim’s 200.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 – Test hundreds for Root in Sri Lanka, making him the first England batsman to score more than one Test century in the country. Eleven England batsmen have a solitary hundred here.173 – The partnership between Root and Dan Lawrence, who made 73 on debut. It is England’s highest stand for any wicket in Sri Lanka, going past the Nasser Hussain-Graham Thorpe partnership of 167 for the third wicket in Kandy 20 years ago. It is also sixth-best for the fourth wicket by an overseas team in Sri Lanka.52.53 – Root’s average in Asia: he has scored 1366 runs in 15 Tests, with three hundreds. He is one of only three England batsmen to score more than 1000 runs at a 50-plus average in Asia; the other two are David Gower and Alastair Cook.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – Non-Asian batsmen who average more than 50 in Asia since 2010, with a 1000-run cut-off. Neither Steven Smith (1200 runs at 48) nor Kane Williamson (1545 runs at 46.81) are in this club.ESPNcricinfo Ltd73 – Lawrence’s score in his debut innings, which is exactly what Root scored on his Test debut in Nagpur eight years ago. In the last 69 years, only five England batsmen have made more runs when making their Test debut in Asia: Keaton Jennings (112 in Mumbai), Ben Foakes (107 in Galle), Cook (104* in Nagpur), Owais Shah (88 in Mumbai) and Haseeb Hameed (82 in Rajkot).

A school’s out vibe hung over England’s performance at The Oval but two players made events memorable

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Sep-2024England’s farcical batting effort to start the day. Chris Woakes proving he is not perfect with some of the worst offspin for four-balls’ worth of bad light. The umpires telling Ollie Pope he could not use his quicks at the start of an extended evening session due for 43 overs but delivering just 17 of innocuous spin.Those were just three examples of a Friday that simply was not serious. And that’s before we get to Harry Brook’s innings. A bad day for the brand of Test cricket. An exception to the rule that this England are compelling viewing every time they step out the gate.There will be a temptation to say this second day of the final Test of the summer had an “end of term” feel. But those usually follow a whole lot of learning. And really, what did Saturday at The Oval teach you that you didn’t know about this series with Sri Lanka?Egging the head teacher’s car is a million times more enjoyable than watching the vastly superior of the two sides toss away their final seven first-innings wickets for 64 runs in exactly 100 deliveries. TP-ing the halls far more engrossing than witnessing an experienced seamer reduced to bowling off a few paces before sending down what Michael Atherton on commentary aptly described as “filth”. And the only thing the evening session had in common with the last day of school was everyone giving up less than halfway through.Related

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Test cricket relies on jeopardy – and this had none. It also requires respect and, barring Sri Lanka’s attempts to ensure this remains a contest, there was little of that, too. There were, however, two lone rangers fighting the good fight for relevance and meaning. And perhaps unsurprisingly, it was two newbies at different stages of their careers who provided it.Olly Stone regarded last week’s Test at Lord’s, his first cap in three years, as something of a second debut. A variety of injuries and a couple of screws in his back have not dulled his incisiveness, with four wickets in that comeback earned through wanging it into a length on a dull surface. And it clearly has not affected his swooping as he responded perfectly to a tip-and-run from Pathum Nissanka by throwing down the stumps.That dismissal, the first of Sri Lanka’s response to England’s 325, lifted the ground. Run-outs usually do; the something-out-of-nothing quality, the visceral mess of the stumps, the wild on-field celebrations that ensue. All set against the disappointment of the batter caught short, which in this case was Dimuth Karunaratne continuing on his way towards the away dressing room.”It was a great feeling,” Stone said. “Maybe a point where it was better than taking a wicket myself!”The 30-year-old went on to take two of those, punhing a hole in the middle order that Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis worked hard to cover up. Angelo Mathews was drawn into playing away from his body. Dinesh Chandimal was blitzed by a full inswinger that registered 89mph. A day after Mark Wood was ruled out for the rest of the year, that delivery in isolation was a timely reminder of Stone’s merits as an out-and-out quick.Josh Hull had his first bowl on debut•ECB via Getty ImagesThey were also the first and third wickets to fall for just seven runs in a three-over stretch that at least contained some sincerity. And it was largely because the second in that sequence belonged to Josh Hull.He looked bashful when it arrived. Perhaps because of the deliveries of varying lengths and lines that came before. Maybe because of the exuberance of his team-mates at their 20-year-old large adult son not just getting his maiden Test wicket, but doing for a classy Nissanka.The opener had jived his way to a pristine 64, profiting from Hull’s looseness before attacking a ball that was better than he thought; sharp, arching late, pitching just short of a full length. Woakes’ catch at cover was on a par with Stone’s run out for outfield excellence, but it was very much Hull’s moment.England were not lying when they said there was a lot to work with. Brendon McCullum’s insistence that picking a left-arm skyscraper who shapes the ball into the right-handers “is not a huge gamble” looked to be about right as he operated at an average of 82.6mph and clocked a top speed of 87mph.And then tea came and with it more light-related nonsense that meant the two central figures to England’s time in the field were unable to continue their work. That led to Hull contributing to the farce of the day when he dropped a sitter at mid-on that cost Shoaib Bashir his first wicket of the match. Bashir consoled Hull, who knew that dropping Dhananjaya on 23 (who finished unbeaten overnight on 64) was costly. Again there was embarrassment across his face, like he wanted a hole to open up and swallow him. At 6ft 7in, it would have given the San Andreas Fault a run for its money.Nevertheless, Hull will remember this day for the rest of his career and Stone may rely upon it alongside Lord’s and what is to come in this match for a role in England’s future, starting with tours of Pakistan and New Zealand this winter. For everyone else, it was one of the more forgettable days in this England team’s recent history.

Bernard Julien, the former West Indies allrounder, died at the age of 75 on Saturday in Valsayn, a town in Northern Trinidad. He was part of the 1975 world champions and represented the region across 24 Tests and 12 ODIs.At the inaugural ODI World Cup, now 50 years ago, Julien produced a spell of 4 for 20 against Sri Lanka in the group stage and followed it up with 4 for 27 against New Zealand in the semi-final and a cameo of 26 off 37 balls against Australia in the final. The tournament encapsulated his reputation as a swashbuckling allrounder known for his left-arm seam bowling, his strokeplay and lively fielding.Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, hailed Julien as a vital member of the 1975 champions. “He always gave you over 100 percent. He never shirked his duties, and I could always rely on him with bat and ball. He gave his all every time. What a fine cricketer,” Lloyd was quoted as saying by the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian.Julien enjoyed another high point at Lord’s, where he scored his first Test century, a match-winning 121 against England in 1973. He picked up a five-for against the same opposition the next year.”We all had total respect for him,” Lloyd said. “He enjoyed himself and was loved by everyone around. I remember we won the Test match at Lords and stood there and signed autographs for a long time, He was good for us and was held in high regard everywhere we went.”Julien also played for Kent between 1970 and 1977, but his career came to a halt when he joined a rebel West Indies side that toured South Africa during the apartheid era in 1982-83.”As we honour Bernard Julien, we also recognise the importance of reflection and inclusion. The time has come to view that chapter of our history not through exclusion but through understanding,” Dr Kishore Shallow, the President of Cricket West Indies, said in an official statement.”To the family, friends, and loved ones of Bernard Julien, we extend our deepest condolences. His passing reminds us that a life devoted to purpose never truly leaves us. Cricket West Indies stands with you in this moment of loss, and we hope Bernard knew he was valued and loved by the cricketing family he helped to shape, and that he found peace knowing his contribution will always endure.”

Sheffield Wednesday have reportedly responded to the chance to merge with Sheffield United by their most unexpected takeover candidates yet.

Kris Wigfield sends fresh Sheffield Wednesday warning

The Owls have set a soft deadline of December 5 and have received proof of funds from several candidates as they look to narrow their list down to those ready to launch worthwhile bids.

The gravity of their situation was slammed home by their defeat in the Steel City derby last weekend, with Sheffield United brushing them to one side in dominant fashion. Destined for League One after their points deduction, Sheffield Wednesday desperately need their takeover to go to plan.

Co-administrator Kris Wigfield admitted after that defeat that there may be more difficult news on the way, too. He told the club’s social media accounts: “It will not be like this forever.

“At the same time, I have to be honest: there may be more difficult news coming, including the possibility of a further points deduction. I want to be upfront about that because our supporters deserve transparency. But I also want to be clear: the period between now and January should be as tough as it gets.”

Reports have already mentioned a number of names among the takeover candidates, including former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley. The former Magpies chief is seemingly looking to get back into English football and could restore his reputation at Hillsborough. But he’s not the only candidate.

John McEvoy has also been mentioned since Sheffield Wednesday entered administration and it will be interesting to see if he’s among the final names. What is for sure is that he’s unlikely to be joined on the final list of names by those at Bramall Lane who reportedly offered a shock merger.

Owls respond to Sheffield United offer

As reported by the Telegraph, Sheffield United’s American owners were among the Sheffield Wednesday takeover candidates and were planning to merge the two clubs if their approach was successful. To no surprise, the Owls quickly shut that down and have been fortunate enough to have plenty of interest from elsewhere.

Not many at Hillsborough believed it could get worse than Dejphon Chansiri, but a merger with Sheffield United would be their nightmare scenario.

It would take their club from administration to the very end. It would end a historic rivalry and change the landscape of football in Sheffield. The Owls, thankfully, saw sense and shut down any idea of a merger or takeover by the Blades’ American owners.

Sheffield Wednesday now braced for imminent "concrete" takeover bid

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Despite making only 160 for 7, Pakistan cruise to a 93-run win in their Asia Cup opener

Danyal Rasool12-Sep-20251:59

Jaffer: Looks like Haris has worked on his game

Mohammad Haris’ fifty and a bowling performance far too good for an outmatched Oman side helped Pakistan cruise to a 93-run win in their Asia Cup opener. Haris smashed 66 off 43 deliveries in an innings where none of his team-mates were quite able to match his power or timing with the bat as he helped Pakistan get up to 160.Oman received early encouragement when a ball that kept low trapped the dangerous Saim Ayub in front. Sahibzada Farhan’s off-colour form persisted in a scratchy innings as Pakistan stumbled along to 31 in the first five overs, and it was up to Haris to inject impetus into the innings.Related

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Sixteen came off the final powerplay over, and that was the start of the onslaught. Until then, Haris had 16 off 18. His next 25 balls produced 50 as Pakistan raced up close to eight runs per over, but once again, Oman pegged them back. Aamir Kaleem, the left-arm spinner, was the pick of the Oman bowlers as he had Haris drag on, before Salman Agha lapped a full toss off his first delivery to deep midwicket.It produced another barren spell for Pakistan and the boundaries dried up again. Fakhar Zaman struggled for timing and Hasan Nawaz, so often a hammer at the death, couldn’t get himself in and holed out off his 15th ball for nine runs. But a cameo from Mohammad Nawaz, who arrived in the 17th over, ensured Pakistan got past the 150-mark.Mohammad Nawaz contributed with both bat and ball•AFP/Getty Images

But Kaleem’s three wickets, and the overall assistance the Oman spinners got, suggested this might well end up being comfortably above par, especially in the face of Pakistan’s more accomplished spin options.And so it proved. A bright beginning for Oman’s batters was waylaid by a double strike from Saim Ayub in the powerplay. Nawaz and Pakistan’s two wristspinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed dried up the batters’ scoring options, and Oman began to bleed wickets. With the field spreading out and the asking rate rising, panic set in, and the innings began to capitulate. Oman slipped from 41 for 2 to 51 for 9 before being bowled out for 67; flashes of ability drowned under the gulf in quality Pakistan were able to bring to bear upon the contest.Haris takes chargeIt is knocks like these that keep Pakistan persisting with Haris through extended poor runs. He had scored just 54 runs in 11 innings before this game, but he was promoted up the order into the powerplay today. That is his strength, and having cut loose in the sixth over, he continued pumping the Oman bowlers, almost single-handedly maintaining Pakistan’s imposing run rate.2:11

Will Pakistan back this XI against India?

Farhan’s struggles at the other end threw Haris’ exploits into sharper relief. Even with the field spread out, Haris, having found his timing, continued to take on the boundary riders. His third six brought up just his second 50-plus score in the format, before a boundary the following ball saw him match his runs tally from the previous 11 innings. The 43 balls he faced for his 66 makes just this three deliveries short of his longest T20I innings in his 29-match career, and one that singlehandedly resurrected an innings that had begun to wobble.Pakistan spin lays waste to OmanSpecialist fast bowlers have dropped down the pecking order in T20I cricket under Mike Hesson, but playing just the one in Shaheen Shah Afridi still came as a bit of a surprise at the toss. Oman began the chase in a solid manner and were 32 for 2 by the end of the fifth over. But Saim Ayub had taken both those wickets, and Pakistan began to unleash the rest of their spinners on this line-up that may never had played against bowling of this quality.Abrar, Nawaz and Muqeem first asphyxiated them, and then the wickets began to fall. Muqeem took out Mohammad Nadeem to make it 41 for 3, and from thereon it was a procession. Nawaz got into the act before Muqeem doubled up the following over. Afridi and Faheem Ashraf helped themselves as Oman lost seven wickets for ten runs, imparting upon the scoreline a tinge of embarrassment Oman’s bowlers certainly did not deserve.

حدد الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، عن موعد قرعة الملحق العالمي المؤهل لـ كأس العالم 2026، من أجل حسم آخر مقعدين للمنتخبات المتأهلة إلى المونديال.

ويشارك في الملحق العالمي 6 منتخبات من 5 قارات، ويتوزع نظام البطولة كالتالي: يتواجد منتخبان في المستوى الأول وفقاً لتصنيف الفيفا، فيما تخوض 4 منتخبات الأقل تصنيفًا مباريات نصف النهائي بنظام خروج المغلوب، على أن يتأهل الفائزان لملاقاة منتخبي التصنيف الأعلى في النهائي.

فيديو | العراق يخطف فوزًا مثيرًا من الإمارات ويتأهل إلى الملحق العالمي لـ كأس العالم 2026

ويتأهل المنتخبان الفائزان في النهائي مباشرة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، التي تُقام لأول مرة بمشاركة 48 منتخبًا، إذ يوفر الملحق العالمي مقعدين إضافيين فقط.

المحلق العالمي المؤهل إلى كأس العالم 2026، يقام بين 6 منتخبات، منتخب من قارة إفريقيا ومنتخب من قارة آسيا ومنتخبان من قارة أمريكا الشمالية ومنتخب من قارة أمريكا الجنوبية ومنتخب من قارة أوقيانوسيا. المنتخبات المشاركة في الملحق العالمي المؤهل إلى كأس العالم

منتخب واحد من آسيا (العراق) 

منتخب واحد من إفريقيا (الكونغو الديمقراطية) 

منتخب واحد من أمريكا الجنوبية (بوليفيا) 

منتخب واحد من أوقيانوسيا (كاليدونيا الجديدة) 

منتخبان من أمريكا الشمالية (وصيفا المجموعتين في تصفيات الكونكاكاف)

تجرى جميع مباريات الملحق بنظام خروج المغلوب في دولة المكسيك خلال شهر مارس 2026. موعد قرعة الملحق العالمي المؤهل لـ كأس العالم 2026

ومن المقرر أن تقام فعاليات القرعة، يوم الخميس 20 نوفمبر 2025، وذلك بمقر “فيفا” بمدينة زيورخ السويسرية، عند الساعة الثانية ظهرًا، بتوقيت مصر، الثالثة عصراً بتوقيت السعودية والعراق.