He also praised England’s bowling attack for not panicking despite injury setbacks

Andrew McGlashan15-Nov-20224:05

Moody: Teams need to consider separate players and staff for different formats

For the second time in less than three years, Matthew Mott held a World Cup aloft at the MCG.In March 2020, it was the history-making performance of Australia’s women’s team, in front of 86,174 spectators, and a few days ago the England men’s team became the first male side to hold both World Cups at the same time to forge their own legacy.”It hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” Mott told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday. “It was an amazing event, again. I probably never thought I’d coach either team, really, so to coach them both to a trophy is something very special.”Mott’s time with Australia came to end after their ODI World Cup victory in New Zealand as they, too, were able to unite the two pieces of limited-overs silverware. He was interviewed for the Australia men’s position when Justin Langer was forced out, but that was always going to Andrew McDonald (do not be surprised, though, if it’s Mott’s job in the future).Matthew Mott’s shift to England came after leading Australia to T20 and ODI World Cup wins•ICC/Getty ImagesThe time was right to bring an end to a storied run with Meg Lanning’s team and England’s interest was impossible to ignore. But even though he was moving into another set-up that had enjoyed white-ball success, had immense depth and were going to be one of the tournament favourites, a lot had to go right to win a World Cup at the first time of asking, particularly after things had gone wrong.While Australia’s title in 2020 and this one for England have not quite followed the same path, they both became fraught affairs. Australia were beaten by India in their opening match and couldn’t afford another defeat; England’s loss to Ireland at the MCG left them in a similar position.There were also injuries to contend with, both before and during the event. In 2020, Tayla Vlaeminck was ruled out on the eve of the tournament, as Reece Topley was this time. Australia lost Ellyse Perry at a vital time; England were without Mark Wood and Dawid Malan in the semi-final and final. Both teams had the depth to come through.”They are interesting tournaments,” Mott said. “There’s so much that can go right or wrong. Run rate is such a big thing that’s looming. To get out of a very strong group, there was a lot of relief after that. Once you get to the semi-finals and finals you play a slightly different brand of cricket, you can actually relax a little more. Think the team thrives on that.”Matthew Mott celebrates with the side after England clinched the trophy•PA Photos/Getty Images”I think England’s depth is incredible. If you look at all the players who missed out in that team – Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Reece Topley – and even the quality that was still sat on the bench, David Willey has done nothing wrong at all and we couldn’t squeeze him in.”Probably the most pleasing thing – everyone talks a lot about the batting – but with Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, there’s now incredible depth in the bowling. Thought Adil Rashid had an amazing tournament. Think the way we adapted was key. In tournaments like this you will always lose a couple of players, but if you don’t panic and give other players an opportunity it really adds to the group.”Mott only started working with England in June on a short tour of Netherlands which ended with Eoin Morgan’s retirement from international cricket. Mott sensed it could be coming, but it still meant there was an entirely new captain-coach axis as Jos Buttler took over four months before the World Cup. The home summer was a stuttering affair as three of the four series against India and South Africa were lost.Related

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However, things started to come together in Pakistan, even though Buttler wasn’t playing. Mott pinpointed that trip as vital to what has played out in Australia, lauding Buttler’s decision to go on the tour. Their relationship was strengthened while Mott also believes the development of Buttler’s captaincy was aided by watching Moeen Ali.”Any time with a captain-coach relationship it takes time to build that trust,” Mott said. “I hadn’t really known Jos before I was in this role. Like any good working relationship, you have to build trust in each other. I really felt the best thing for us was when Jos selflessly said he’d come to Pakistan even though he wasn’t going to play.”He just wanted to observe and his relationship with Moeen Ali was strengthened over there, it was a brilliant. That really set the tone for us, to build a team around him. He observed a lot from Moeen’s captaincy and [I] think he took a lot out of that. He added an extra layer of calmness and assuredness.”In 2020, the destiny of the title had been all but decided by the batting of Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney. Mott subsequently said he was even able to give himself a moment to soak in the experience that day. This time it was rather different, a tense affair that was only really decided when Shaheen Afridi limped off and Ben Stokes seized the moment.Mott caught up with a number of the Australians over the last few weeks and many of them sent him messages before the final. “Felt like in a strange way they shared in that even though it was England,” he said. “At least they had someone to cheer for in the final.”

Celtic are set for a busy end to the January transfer window after an unexpected twist happened after the 1-0 win over BSC Young Boys in the Champions League last week.

Following the celebrations in Parkhead after the Hoops secured their place in the play-off round of the competition, it was reported that fan favourite striker Kyogo Furuhashi could be on his way out of the club, despite starting the game.

Rennes have since signed the Japan international for a reported fee of £10m and that has come as a blow to the Scottish giants, as the 30-year-old marksman scored 85 goals in 165 matches for the club.

The blow of losing Kyogo from the squad during the January transfer window has been softened, however, by the return of Portuguese winger Jota.

He was reportedly in Glasgow over the weekend to put the finishing touches on an £8m transfer from Rennes, whom he joined from Al Ittihad last summer, and officially completed his return on Monday.

The former Benfica star, however, is a winger and Kyogo’s exit means that the Scottish Premiership leaders are still in the market to add another centre-forward to the group.

Celtic's interest in Danish forward

It was recently reported by Football Insider that the Hoops are poised to go in with an attempt to sign Mathias Kvistgaarden from Brondby before the end of the January transfer window.

The outlet claimed that Celtic are plotting a late move to sign the Denmark U21 international before the deadline to replace Kyogo, as Adam Idah is the only senior, first-team, number nine in the squad aside from the Japanese forward.

It stated, however, that Brondby are reluctant to part ways with the 22-year-old star and that it would take a mammoth fee of £10m to secure his services ahead of the second half of the season.

Football Insider added that Celtic have money to spend and want to do a deal to sign Kvistgaarden as well as bringing Jota back for £8m, thanks to the £10m that they have raked in for Kyogo.

Transfer Focus

Despite being a potential £10m signing, the Danish striker, who has scored ten goals in 12 Superliga starts this season, is reportedly on £3.9k-per-week in wages, which is around £200k-per-year.

This suggests that the Hoops could snap him up on a relatively cheap contract, compared to a signing from the Premier League on £20k-per-week or higher, to offset how large the transfer fee is.

In fact, Celtic have a number of underperforming players who earn more than Kvistgaarden, including one who should be moved on before the end of the window.

Celtic's top earners

25 players, which was 26 with Kyogo, within the Hoops squad currently earn £4k-per-week or higher, including 12 players on £15k-per-week or more.

This means that, unless Celtic hand him a significant wage hike, Kvistgaarden would arrive at Parkhead as one of the lowest earners in the group, or, at least, he would be unlikely to be near the top of the pile.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Callum McGregor are reportedly the two highest earners in the squad on £37k-per-week, almost ten times what the Danish forward is currently on.

Top ten earners
Celtic squad	Weekly wage
Cameron Carter-Vickers	£37k
Callum McGregor	£37k
James Forrest	£19k
Daizen Maeda	£18k
Alistair Johnston	£16k
Reo Hatate	£16k
Arne Engels	£16k
Adam Idah	£16k
Luis Palma	£16k
Greg Taylor	£15k
Wages via Salary Sport

As you can see in the table above, the majority of the top ten earners in the squad are key, starting-calibre, players, but James Forrest and Luis Palma do not fall into that category, with six league starts combined this term.

The latter, in particular, is one flop who has not done enough to justify his wages this season and Brendan Rodgers must, now, ruthlessly cash in on the Honduras international before the end of the January transfer window next week.

Why Celtic should sell Luis Palma

Firstly, the pending arrival of Jota from Rennes could mean that the former Aris forward finds himself in third place in the pecking order to start on the left flank, behind Daizen Maeda and the Portuguese ace.

Palma has already struggled for game time in the Premiership for the Hoops this season, with one start in eight appearances, and another signing in his position could further restrict his minutes on the pitch.

Last week, Football Insider reported that Sunderland, Stoke City, Swansea City, and Queens Park Rangers, as well as unnamed clubs in Europe, are all interested in a deal to sign the in-demand attacker before the deadline, which shows that there are plenty of sides willing to snap him up.

The outlet added that Palma is keen to move away from Parkhead, in search of regular game time, and that Celtic would want a replacement for him if he were to leave, although Jota’s official return to the club means that they now have that replacement.

This shows that there is a willingness from both sides to part ways if the right opportunity comes up before the end of the window, and Rodgers must push for the club to ruthlessly sell him to one of those Championship sides, or any other interested party.

Luis Palma’s drop-off
Premiership	23/24	24/25
Appearances	28	8
Goals	7	0
Assists	9	0
Big chances created	14	1
Key passes per game	2.4	1.5
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Palma enjoyed a strong start to his career at Celtic, with his effective performances in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals, but the drop-off has been huge.

He has not offered much to the team at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership so far this season and Rodgers has not trusted him enough to play the winger week-in-week-out in the division.

Therefore, it could be the perfect time, given Jota’s pending return to Parkhead, to ruthlessly cash in on the Honduras international, who has failed to live up to the early promise he showed in a Celtic shirt.

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Manchester United are plotting a move to sign a “complete” player who has a £55 million release clause in the summer, according to a recent report.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils still have lots to play for in the FA Cup and Europa League, but given how the Premier League season has gone, Ruben Amorim will be keen to get this campaign finished, so the club can then turn their focus to the summer and make the changes he thinks are required.

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It’s been reported this week that Amorim is keen for Man United to sign both Viktor Gyokeres and Geovany Quenda from Sporting. The duo are players Amorim knows very well and are seen as two who can instantly fit into the Portuguese’s system at Old Trafford. It is believed the opportunity to be a part of their former manager’s project could help lure the duo to Old Trafford.

As well as looking at the pair from Sporting, it’s been reported from Spain that Amorim is looking to sign Joao Cancelo from Al-Hilal, which would be a controversial signing, as he played for neighbours Manchester City.

The Portuguese is seen as the ideal player to strengthen United’s options at right-back, but he is under contract in Saudi until 2027, meaning Al-Hilal are in a strong negotiation position.

Man Utd plotting transfer swoop for Dean Huijsen

The potential arrivals do not stop there, as according to The Sun, Manchester United are interested in signing Dean Huijsen from AFC Bournemouth in the summer.

The 19-year-old joined the Cherries in the summer transfer window from Juventus and has impressed enormously since, putting him on United’s radar. The report states that his performances have caught the attention of Amorim, who is starting to put his summer transfer plans into place. However, they are not alone in their pursuit, as Real Madrid are also interested in signing the centre-back as well as teams from Germany.

Huijsen, who has been described as a “complete package” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, is under contract with Bournemouth until 2030, but it is being reported that he has a £55 million release clause that comes into effect in July. The Spain under-21 international has started the last 11 Premier League games, during which he scored against the Red Devils at Old Trafford.

Apps

18

Goals

2

Clean sheets

5

Interceptions per game

1.6

Tackles per game

1.3

Signing a centre-back in the summer may have just become even more of a priority for United given the injury to Lisandro Martínez. The Argentine is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ACL injury, and with Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans coming to the end of their contracts, a new centre-back may be needed to provide cover and competition for Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire.

Huijsen fits into what United are looking for, a young player who has lots of time to develop into an even better one and the added bonus that he has already played in England and the Premier League.

West Bromwich Albion fans would have been nervously checking social media right until the end of transfer deadline day as one statement deal hung in the balance.

The promotion chasers would unbelievably swoop in at the last minute to try and clinch a loan deal for Southampton star Adam Armstrong, with the lateness of the deal worrying many as to whether it had gone through in time for the 11pm cut-off.

Thankfully – alongside also picking up the services of Tammer Bany on deadline day – this move would eventually be confirmed, with Armstrong one purchase that could really help Tony Mowbray’s men to consolidate a playoff spot in the unforgiving Championship.

What Armstrong can offer West Brom

Armstrong, after all, has a long-standing reputation in the second tier for being a potent finisher of chances, which is evident when examining his last goal-laden season at the level.

Across a sparkling 2023/24 campaign, which ended with Southampton sealing promotion up to the Premier League, the ex-Newcastle United man would bag a weighty 24 league strikes from 49 clashes, with this goal at Wembley against Leeds United the crucial strike that saw the Saints dramatically move back up to the top-flight.

Therefore, he could be just what Tony Mowbray’s side need to aid their own ongoing promotion aspirations, especially with main striker Josh Maja currently sidelined.

Armstrong might well end up forming a frightening attacking duo with Karlan Grant if everything clicks into place, with Grant a reinvigorated figure at the Hawthorns this campaign so far, with a reasonable output of six league goals from 29 contests.

But, away from the attacking pair in question, West Brom have missed a trick in the striker department when it comes to this former dud, who is outscoring both Armstrong and Grant this season with one of the Baggies’ promotion rivals in Blackburn Rovers.

The former dud now outscoring Armstrong and Grant

West Brom supporters would be forgiven for forgetting that Andreas Weimann was ever on the books of the West Midlands outfit, having only briefly been at the club for 13 games last campaign.

In truth, it would end up being a largely underwhelming loan spell for the vastly experienced Austrian, with the former Bristol City attacker only picking up two goals and two assists donning his new colours, before then briskly returning to the Robins.

Weimann hasn’t let this bump in the road negatively impact him, however, with the 33-year-old finding a new lease of life at Ewood Park in the here and now away from being a forgotten figure at the Hawthorns.

Indeed, the well-travelled Blackburn number 14 actually boasts more goals this season than both Armstrong and Grant in all competitions, with a worry that the hyped-up Armstrong might struggle to recapture his Championship best straight away after a sometimes barren campaign in the Premier League.

Stat

Weimann

Armstrong

Grant

Games played

29

23

30

Goals scored

8

3

6

Assists

1

2

2

In total, the rejuvenated attacker boasts nine goal contributions across 29 contests, whilst Armstrong limps over the line with just five contributions from 23 games.

Grant is only one off Weimann’s total in all fairness, but with the Vienna-born forward’s added strength of being able to play all across the attacking positions coming into the equation, Mowbray would love to have the utility figure around now to gift his team another option up top.

Ageing like a fine wine under John Eustace – who even labelled the 33-year-old as a “class act” recently – Weimann will just hope he can keep these electric performances coming for his current employers, whilst Armstrong aims to hit the ground running as soon as possible alongside Grant and Co.

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MatériaMais Notícias

John Textor, dono do Botafogo, foi até a Gávea para prestigiar o time sub-20 do Glorioso, mas acabou vendo uma vitória do rival. Na tarde deste sábado, o Flamengo derrotou o Alvinegro por 2 a 0 em jogo válido pela 3ª rodada do Brasileirão da categoria.Mateusão e Ryan Luka fizeram os gols.

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+ Partida contra o América-MG pode ser chave para retomada do Flamengo na temporada

O Rubro-Negro segue com 100% de aproveitamento: são três vitórias em três jogos e a liderança do torneio. O Botafogo, por outro lado, ficou com 3 pontos, estacionou na 4ª posição do Grupo A e pode cair na tabela dependendo de outros resultados da rodada.

O Flamengo abriu o placar na metade do primeiro tempo, após Werton sofrer pênalti. Matheusão confirmou a cobrança e tirou o zero do placar. Já na etapa final, Ryan Luka aproveitou o rebote do goleiro Lucas Barreto após um chute de Gabriel Toebe e confirmou o resultado positivo.

O proprietário da SAF do Botafogo esteve presente e viu a partida. As categorias de base são um dos pontos mais importantes para o projeto do norte-americano. Dessa vez, contudo, ele não voltou feliz para casa.

Pelo lado do Flamengo, a alegria foi além do resultado. Matheus França, uma das joias da Gávea e que até mesmo já atuou pelo time profissional, voltou a atuar pela primeira vez desde que fraturou o tornozelo, no dia 17 de abril.

Western Australia are well placed for a fourth win of the season in a game dominated by the ball

AAP23-Nov-2022

Corey Rocchiccioli helped earn Western Australia a big lead•Getty Images

Western Australia set New South Wales the seemingly Herculean task of chasing 268 runs to win after 20 wickets fell for 220 runs on an eventful day of Sheffield Shield cricket.On a lively but not unplayable SCG pitch, both sides struggled to make runs. D’Arcy Short top-scored for WA with an unbeaten 38 on a grim day for the batting profession. The visitors were bowled out for 127 in their second innings after slumping to 7 for 45 shortly after tea.Short and debutant paceman Charlie Stobo steadied the ship with a 60-run partnership – the largest of the day – to drag their side past three figures.”As you’ve seen, getting 200 on this wicket is really challenging,” Stobo said.  “Getting [a lead of] 260, 270 is a real bonus, so pretty content at the moment.”Related

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Journeyman NSW spinner Chris Green continued his dream first-class debut, picking up a five-wicket haul to add to his four opening-day dismissals.Quick Mickey Edwards got his first wicket in the competition since 2018 after a torrid injury run, trapping opener Cameron Bancroft lbw for 1.Chris Tremain got the pick of the wickets, taking an exceptional return catch in his follow-through off Sam Fanning’s firmly struck straight drive.The Blues were earlier skittled for 93, 140 runs short of WA’s first-innings total. Matthew Kelly was the pick of the quicks for the visitors, taking 3 fpr 9 including a double-wicket maiden over that brought the dismissals of Jason Sangha and Moises Henriques.Stobo picked up his first wickets for WA, while spinner Corey Rocchiccioli helped clean up the tail with four of his own.Daniel Hughes top-scored for the hosts with 30 off 96 deliveries, battling admirably for each run as his partners fell around him.Fast bowlers took 11 of day’s wickets with the spinners nabbing nine on a green pitch offering plenty of turn and bounce after the NSW spin pair of Green and Toby Gray dominated on day one.”It’s obviously a bit of a difficult wicket,” Hughes said.  “You can’t play any cross-bat shots on that. You’ve got to play as straight as you can and wait for the spinner to drop short or the quicks to bowl full and just hit down the ground. That’s the key, and if we can do that for a long period tomorrow we’re in with a chance.”With South Australia leapfrogging them at the bottom of the table following their draw with Queensland, the winless Blues will need a massive batting effort to avoid defeat on day three.

Antony's potential move from Manchester United to Real Betis has reportedly hit a snag due to a new rule.

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Antony flops at Man UtdStarring on loan at BetisTransfer move hits new snagFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Antony joined Betis on loan from United in January and since then he has been a hit for the Spanish side. The Europe-chasing team have made it clear they want to sign the 25-year-old permanently this summer but their hopes of signing the £40 million-rated ($53.3m) winger are said to have been dealt a blow.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE EXPLAINER

The Mirror reports that Betis may not be able to sign Antony as new La Liga rules, which have been brought in line with UEFA ones, limit instalment payments to a maximum of five seasons for clubs that do not exceed their limits. Previously, they spread payments over seven years, such as with their ex-French star Nabil Fekir, but this shorter timespan may put pay to Betis' Antony move.

DID YOU KNOW?

Since moving to the Spanish side on loan, Antony has scored five goals and bagged four assists in 17 matches for Betis, who sit sixth in La Liga and are into the Europa Conference League semi-finals.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Aside from whether or not Betis can sign Antony, he could feature for Manuel Pellegrini's team in their Conference League clash at home to Fiorentina on Thursday.

Ipswich Town could buckle under the strain of the battle to stay up in the Premier League over the course of the next few contests, with two tough clashes against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United coming the way of the Tractor Boys in quick succession.

However, both reverse fixtures did see Kieran McKenna’s men impressively pick up a stunning away victory at Spurs, whilst also collecting a deserved point during Ruben Amorim’s first clash in the Red Devils dug-out.

Off the back of a battling draw with Aston Villa too, McKenna’s men won’t go into either encounter riddled with fear, especially if Liam Delap is on top form attempting to cause both inconsistent teams trouble.

Delap's red-hot form for Ipswich

It goes without saying now that the £20m capture of Delap last summer was a masterstroke of a buy on the newly promoted side’s end, with the ex-Manchester City wonderkid turning into a deadly Premier League centre-forward in Suffolk.

Indeed, as a result of his opener against Unai Emery’s shellshocked Villa, Delap is now up to ten goals for the season in the league, with Sammie Szmodics way behind his bumper total with four as Ipswich’s second top scorer.

McKenna will be hoping Delap’s continued excellence in front of goal gives his underdogs a fighting chance at survival, because if Ipswich do go down, there will be a whole host of higher-up suitors wanting to win the exceptional 22-year-old’s services.

But, whilst his bumper goal total is an obvious joy to behold for the Portman Road masses, there is one former Tractor Boys attacker who is actually bettering the 6 foot 1 forward’s electric goalscoring form now all the way down in League Two.

The unexpected star who's outscoring Delap

This ex-Ipswich man did have the unfortunate reality of being in a side that was languishing all the way down in League One, instead of one punching above its weight in the top flight.

Still, Armando Dobra’s lacklustre output of two goals and four assists from 30 largely forgettable appearances would see the Albanian attacker be moved onto Chesterfield in 2022 on a free transfer, with McKenna the cutthroat manager to finally wave him on his way.

Burton Albion 2-1 Ipswich, 14th of August 2021

1. GK -Vaclav Hladky

2. RB – Kane Vincent-Young

3. CB – Janoi Donacien

4. CB – Luke Woolfenden

5. LB – Matt Penney

6. RM – Armando Dobra

7. CM – Rekeem Harper

8. CM – Lee Evans

9. LM – Scott Fraser

10. AM – Louie Barry

11. ST – Joe Pigott

Whilst Vaclav Hladky and Luke Woolfenden would go on to be key parts of the jigsaw under McKenna – who both lined up alongside Dobra during his final ever Tractor Boys start – the 23-year-old had to go and repair his career with the Spireites and he has done just that based off his superb showings in League Two this campaign.

Where Are They Now

In all competitions, the one-time Ipswich reject is amazingly trumping Delap’s weighty ten goals with 11 of his own, alongside also boasting two assists as a constantly creative option for Paul Cook’s lower league side.

As assistant manager Danny Webb has stated, amid January interest in the forward, he is “a massive player” for the lower league outfit.

It’s not as if Dobra has suddenly sparked into life for Chesterfield either and become this rejuvenated presence, having now collected a bumper 32 goals and 15 assists from 116 clashes donning a more comfortable shade of blue.

Cook and Co even have an outside shot of the League Two playoffs in their sights, whilst Dobra’s former club have one simple survival aim etched into their brains all the way up in the Premier League.

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1 ByKelan Sarson Feb 18, 2025

After such a harrowing defeat, amid such a surreal spectacle at a heaving MCG magnified by the entire cricket world watching, Pakistan captain Babar Azam had the difficult task of addressing his crestfallen players in the dressing room.Some players were slumped, others had their hands on their heads, trying to rationalise the absurdity of what had just transpired. In a 90-second rallying cry, which has since gone viral on social media, Babar calmly but firmly, gesturing with his hands, lifted his team off the canvas.Related

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“(Babar) told us that it was not our last game. That it (the match) is over, and we all put in our best effort,” Pakistan batter Iftikhar Ahmed, who hit a 34-ball 51 against India, said after clasping together in front of his head while listening intently to Babar.”The captain and the management have supported us. Our morale is high and we are confident as always.”Even though spirits were lifted, the pain over such a defeat in an instant classic between great rivals that will be forever remembered, gnaws away.”It always hurts you a bit after losing such a big match. We can’t pretend that nothing happened… no, it really hurts,” Iftikhar said. “After all, we are representing more than 200 to 250 million people here. Therefore, we are all feeling the pain and are hurting.”It looms as a major challenge, but Pakistan will need to regroup quickly against Zimbabwe on Thursday. The sunny skies in Perth to greet Pakistan would have surely provided a tonic, after so much weather innuendo in Melbourne, and so too stepping onto Optus Stadium, which mirrors the nearby WACA with its bounce and pace while swing on the green-tinged pitch has been notable with the new ball.After such a menacing burst against India on a similarly nippy MCG deck, until he was finally collared by a peerless Virat Kohli, speedster Haris Rauf looms as the key for Pakistan with expectations he can replicate England quick Mark Wood’s rapid spell against Afghanistan on Saturday.”Haris is our main strike bowler and we expect him to bowl better here and win it for Pakistan,” Iftikhar said. “The Australian pitches are fast and bouncy and we have prepared for that.”After Pakistan were rattled early by menacing movement, which almost resembled something out of a Shield match, from India quicks Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Iftikhar steadied the innings by cleverly utilising the gaps on the vast MCG before being inventive against left-arm spinner Axar Patel.”People say I don’t play sweep and reverse, so I am also trying to master these shots. Sweep and reverse sweep will be key shots on these pitches because of the bounce here,” he said.”My role in the team is to stay long at the crease after we lose a wicket. My role is to take stock and then attack. When you get runs against big teams then it raises your morale and I will take this confidence forward.”Every match is a new game and the effort will be to give my 100% for the team.”Pakistan’s heartbreaking opening defeat has put them – even at this early stage – on the back foot, meaning there is little room left for error if they are to make the semi-finals again.While hot favourites against Zimbabwe, Pakistan will know nothing is guaranteed in a tournament throwing up upsets and nerve-jangling finishes against an opponent who confidently navigated the first round and then shared the points with South Africa albeit in controversial circumstances.”Zimbabwe is an international team and we have to play strong against them like any other team,” Iftikhar said. “Important to play well…the players are hungry to perform.”We are trying to prepare for the next game, come back strong and remain in contention for this World Cup.”

Celtic are in action in the Champions League on Wednesday night as they clash with Bayern Munich at Parkhead in the first leg of their play-off tie.

The Hoops, who will travel to Germany to face Vincent Kompany’s side in the second leg next week, will be aiming for a strong result to give them something to take to Bavaria.

Brendan Rodgers’ side made it through to the play-off round after they only lost two of their eight matches in the league phase, the latest of which came at the hands of Aston Villa in January.

The Scottish Premiership leaders may face their biggest task yet, though, as they come up against a Bayern team that have only lost one of their 21 matches in the Bundesliga this season.

They have scored a whopping 65 goals in those 21 league matches and found the back of the net 20 times in their eight Champions League games so far this season.

The main task for Celtic tonight, therefore, will be limiting what the German giants can do in the final third, and stopping Harry Kane will be right near the top of their list of priorities defensively.

Harry Kane's form for Bayern Munich

The England captain has proven himself to be one of the very best strikers in Europe throughout his career and is set to offer a huge threat to Kasper Schmeichel’s goal on Wednesday night.

Kane joined Bayern in the summer of 2023 after an exceptional spell with Tottenham Hotspur in England, with a return of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 appearances in all competitions.

The experienced marksman enjoyed a terrific start to life in Germany with 36 goals, from 30.63 xG, in 32 appearances in the Bundesliga in the 2023/24 campaign, as he showcased his ability to consistently find the back of the net.

Kane also scored eight goals and provided four assists in 12 matches in the Champions League last season, which shows that he can do it on the European stage as well.

Appearances

19

7

xG

16.00

6.51

Goals

21

6

Big chances created

8

2

Assists

6

1

As you can see in the table above, the 31-year-old centre-forward has been on fire in front of goal in the 2024/25 campaign for the Bavarian side, with 27 goals in the Bundesliga and the Champions League combined.

His incredible form over the years for both Bayern and Spurs has contributed to his market value soaring to a staggering €90m (£75m), as per Transfermarkt, and it will not come as a surprise to anyone that he is worth significantly more than any current Celtic player.

Celtic's most valuable stars

In fact, Kane is worth more than Celtic’s nine most valuable players in the current squad, with Cameron Carter-Vickers currently the most valuable in the group at £11.6m.

Chalkboard

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender is ahead of the likes of Reo Hatate and Arne Engels, who are joint-second at £9.1m, but still falls well short of the Bayern Munich marksman’s valuation.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

£11.6m

Reo Hatate

£9.1m

Arne Engels

£9.1m

Nicolas Kuhn

£8.3m

Alistair Johnston

£7.5m

Daizen Maeda

£6.6m

Jota

£6.6m

Auston Trusty

£6.6m

Callum McGregor

£6.2m

Greg Taylor

£5.8m

Adam Idah

£4.1m

As you can see in the table above, Carter-Vickers tops the pile and is ahead of all of the club’s exciting attacking talents – he is even worth more than Adam Idah and Jota combined (£10.6m), which speaks to how impressive his valuation is.

Celtic signed the American central defender from Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of £6m in the summer of 2022, which shows that the Scottish giants have hit the jackpot with the colossus, whose value has soared by millions in recent years.

Rodgers must, now, unleash Carter-Vickers from the start against Bayern, after Dane Murray and Liam Scales were given a run-out against Raith Rovers in the SFA Cup last weekend, as he could be the man to silence Kane.

Why Carter-Vickers could silence Kane

As aforementioned, the Bayern Munich centre-forward is an incredibly difficult man to stop from scoring. He has been prolific throughout his career, in England and in Germany, and it will take a big effort from the entire team to keep him at bay.

However, Carter-Vickers is a dominant central defender who may have the tools to have the best chance at silencing him in the clash on Wednesday night.

The USA international, who would have trained with the England captain during their time together at Spurs, has won 67% of his duels in the Champions League and 73% of his battles in the Premiership this season, which shows that he is a physically dominant star.

One of the many reasons why Kane is so effective is that he offers a physical presence in the centre-forward position. The English number nine has won 54% of his duels with opposition defenders in the Champions League so far this season, which shows that he can get the better of centre-backs in physical battles more often than not.

This helps to give him an edge in the final third, as he can brush challenges off to get more opportunities in front of goal, but Carter-Vickers is not a centre-back who is easily brushed away.

24/25

72%

73%

23/24

62%

71%

22/23

59%

74%

21/22

59%

73%

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic number 20 has consistently dominated opposition players in duels on the ground and in the air in the Premiership throughout his career in Scotland.

These statistics suggest that the 27-year-old colossus, who has only been dribbled past once in five Champions League games this term, has the potential to dominate Kane in duels, which could help the Hoops to silence the prolific forward.

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Therefore, Rodgers must unleash the American defender from the start ahead of Murray and Scales for this big clash at Parkhead on Wednesday night, as his physicality could hold the key to stopping the England international.