Pat Cummins won the toss in Ahmedabad, but unlike the ODI World Cup final, he did not make the right call as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s score of 162 for 8 was comfortably chased by Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad to make it 11 wins out of 12 for home teams in IPL 2024.Noor Ahmad, Mohit Sharma and former Sunriser Rashid Khan suffocated the big-hitting team in orange to keep them down to a below-par score, and as the surface got better in the evening, the Titans rode on contributions from Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and David Miller to see them through.

Noor, Rashid rock Sunrisers

An afternoon start in Ahmedabad promised a dry surface with help for spinners, and that’s why Cummins wanted Sunrisers to make first use of the pitch. Expecting the same, the Titans dropped fast bowler Spencer Johnson to give left-arm wristspinner Noor his first outing of the season.Noor struck in his first over when he got a googly to rattle Travis Head’s stumps right after the powerplay before the opener could do heavy damage. Noor’s googly was particularly effective on this surface. He bowled 13 of them and only conceding ten runs. His spell of 1 for 32, numbers partly ruined by some late hits from Sunrisers, gave Titans their first foothold in this game.Related

• It's all in the plan – how Gill and his bowlers brought SRH down to earth

Noor’s bowling also lifted his senior Afghanistan team-mate Rashid, who conceded 49 against Chennai Super Kings in his last game and started Sunday’s spell with a 15-run over courtesy Abhishek Sharma’s twin sixes.However, Rashid returned strongly to keep Heinrich Klaasen relatively quiet, and eventually he took him out as well, a skiddy legbreak going on to shatter the stumps in the 14th over. Rashid then made an equal contribution next over in Aiden Markram’s dismissal when he dived forward to complete a difficult catch running in from long-on. He finished with 1 for 33 and apart from that catch, also played a role in Abdul Samad’s run-out in the final over.

Mohit leaves Sunrisers short

Unlike the Mumbai Indians game – where every Sunrisers batter who got starts went big – they fell after getting set this time. Perhaps the idea was to maximise the runs that a hard-hitting batting-order could generate, but on this occasion, they were dismissed before the big flourish.One of them was Abhishek, dismissed for 29 via a Mohit cutter. Mohit slowed things down and forced an error from Abhishek by getting a length ball wide and forcing a mis-hit to cover. With the surface assisting pace-off deliveries, Mohit bowled another tidy over against Klaasen and Markram to finish his first spell for 1-12. Titans saved the rest of his overs for the death and he showed just why they do that, conceding only 13 further runs and picking up two more wickets.Mohit was instrumental in Sunrisers scoring only 40 runs in their last five overs. The only six he conceded was when he delivered a full toss, but otherwise his playlist of change-up deliveries worked wonderfully. After dismissing Shahbaz Ahmed and Washington Sundar in the 20th over, Mohit led the team out with only 163 to chase, and earned a well-deserved rest, substituted by Sudharsan for the second innings.David Miller and Sai Sudharsan ensured Gujarat Titans did not slip up in the chase•BCCI

Titans’ top three gel well

Like the Titans, the Sunrisers too made a strategic change from their previous game by opting for Washington as the impact player instead of Umran Malik. They also started the bowling innings with Shahbaz’s left-arm orthodox spin.But it soon got clear that as afternoon turned to evening, the pitch had eased off. Wriddhiman Saha began in trademark fashion, attacking the new ball and hit his former Bengal team-mate Shahbaz for a six in the opening over. He then ran down the pitch to hammer Bhuvneshwar Kumar straight back and accepted a gift from Umesh Yadav to deposit a full toss over the leg side. Even though Saha fell in the fifth over to Shahbaz, his 13-ball 25 had given Titans a quick start and allowed Gill to find his feet.From scoring only 11 in his first 12 balls, Gill hit 25 runs off his next 16 to accelerate after the powerplay. He relied on the odd boundary amid risk-free grounded shots to keep the score moving. Even though Gill holed out for 36 right after the first time-out in the tenth over, he did what Saha helped him do, letting the No. 3 Sudharsan also settle.Sudharsan struggled to put Markande and Cummins away initially, but changed gears in the 12th over when he found his second boundary against Jaydev Unadkat by driving over mid-off. He then clubbed Cummins and Washington in the space of three balls and played his best shot when he came down the track to hammer Markande for six. Cummins did dismiss him with a slower ball for 45 in the 17th over, but by then the win was almost guaranteed.

Miller puts finishing touch

The year 2024 has been a forgettable one for Miller after two fantastic years of T20 cricket. Coming into the game, he had a strike rate of 119, his lowest in 13 years, and his struggles looked to surface when he could not find a boundary in his first 16 deliveries. But then came a small break as Miller got some treatment for a niggle. After that, he looked a player transformed.With his mobility hampered, Miller decided there was no point holding anything back and pounced on Markande’s predictable full-and-wide deliveries to club a 26-run 16th over. He then picked Cummins’ slower balls to club both of them for four in the 17th. And when Unadkat delivered the first ball of the 20th, Miller saw it land in his arc, and expectedly, sent it out of the park to finish unbeaten on 44.

Marseille are making a last-ditch effort to secure striker Igor Paixao, pushing negotiations amid heavy pressure from Leeds United and Feyenoord.

Marseille locked in Paixao bidding warLeeds have matched Feyenoord’s demandsFrench side increase offer in responseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to French and Italian media reports, Marseille are staging a late push to sign Feyenoord’s Paixao despite heavy competition from Leeds. The Brazilian forward has already agreed personal terms with Marseille, but an agreement between the clubs remains elusive. Leeds have reportedly tabled a €30 million (£26m/$35m) offer that matches Feyenoord’s demands, momentarily putting the English side in pole position to seal the deal. However, Marseille are preparing a third, increased offer believed to exceed the €30m (£26m/$35m) threshold, with figures close to €32m (£28m/$37m) being cited. Sources including and journalist Nicolo Schira indicate Leeds might even have submitted a €35m bid, which Feyenoord appear ready to accept.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite advancing first, Marseille now find themselves trailing Leeds in the race for Paixao. Leeds’ willingness to match the Dutch team's asking price has shifted momentum, but Pablo Longoria, Marseille’s president, is intent on making another attempt. With the player keen on a move to Marseille and an agreement on personal terms, the outcome now centres solely on the financial package.

MARSEILLE PREPARE NEW BID

Facing mounting competition and rejecting an early exit, Marseille are preparing a fresh bid that could surpass Leeds’ current offer. Negotiations remain active and, according to , a decisive response from Feyenoord is expected imminently. The transfer is being closely watched as the French side looks to secure Paixao as part of an ambitious attack alongside Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

GettyWHAT NEXT?

Roma, previously in the running, have exited the contest, citing the risk of a bidding war. Pressure is mounting on the player himself as he waits for a resolution and prepares for a potentially record-breaking move. All sides expect clarity within hours as Marseille make their final approach.

Ashutosh Sharma’s heroic 28-ball 61 went in vain as Punjab Kings suffered yet another close defeat in IPL 2024, this time going down to Mumbai Indians in Mullanpur by nine runs.Early in the chase, Kings were at the risk of being bundled out cheaply when Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee combined to leave the hosts 14 for 4 in 2.1 overs. Soon that became 77 for 6. But Ashutosh – and Shashank Singh with a 25-ball 41 – injected life into the contest.

Hardik fined for slow over rate

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has been fined for his team maintaining a slow over rate during their match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur. He was fined INR 12 lakhs, this being his team’s first over-rate offence of IPL 2024 under the IPL’s code of conduct.

With three overs to go, Kings needed only 25 runs more. However, Ashutosh fell at the start of the 18th over, and Mumbai never let that advantage go. Kings suffered their fourth final-over defeat of the season, and their fifth loss in all, as Mumbai climbed from ninth to seventh on the table.

Bumrah, Coetzee bowl thunderbolts

Kings were on the mat early in their chase of 193 when Coetzee had Prabhsimran Singh caught behind down the leg side in the first over. At the other end, Bumrah took the new ball and struck right away, removing franchise debutant Rilee Rossouw for a duck and the new opener Sam Curran for 6.Liam Livingstone, batting at No. 4, then lasted two balls when his attempted pull off a 150kph Coetzee delivery was sliced back to the bowler. A score of 14 for 4 soon became 49 for 5 when Harpreet Singh Bhatia was caught by legspinner Shreyas Gopal, and then became 77 for 6 when Jitesh Sharma was lbw for nine by Madhwal.Ashutosh Sharma played an innings to remember•BCCI

The near miracle

By the time Ashutosh walked in, Shashank had already kept Kings’ score moving with the occasional boundary. Shashank pumped three sixes and two fours to make 41 in 25 balls from No. 6, but it was only when Ashutosh joined him that runs flowed from both ends.Ashutosh hammered Madhwal for a six over fine leg in the tenth over and then took Romario Shepherd for four and six in the 11th. He clubbed Hardik Pandya for a six in the 12th too, and even after Bumrah had dismissed Shashank in the 13th, he swept the fast bowler for an audacious six in the same over. Ashutosh and Harpreet Brar then took Coetzee for a 13-run 15th over as they made 65 runs in that five-over period.But it was the 16th over that took Kings ahead in the game for the first time in the chase. Madhwal missed his lengths and Ashutosh punished him with consecutive sixes. Harpreet smacked another six to bring the equation down to 28 off four overs.The required run-rate of only seven gave Ashutosh and Harpreet the breathing room to see out Bumrah’s final over for only three runs, which ended with Kings needing a manageable 25 off 18. But Coetzee’s uncanny habit of breaking partnerships came through again, and he had Ashutosh pulling to deep midwicket at the start of the 18th over. Harpreet was then dismissed by Hardik in the 19th over. Rabada, the No. 11, struck a six off Hardik’s last ball to make it 13 required off seven balls. A single off the last ball of that over, and a wide off the first ball of the final over, bowled by Akash Madhwal, brought it down to 11 off six.However, he was run out in pursuit of a second run next ball, and Mumbai could celebrate a great escape.Suryakumar Yadav was slightly more subdued than usual, but still unfurled some of his trademark shots•BCCI

SKY anchors Mumbai’s 192

Before this game, Suryakumar Yadav had made two ducks and two half-centuries in his four innings this season. On Thursday, he walked in at No. 3 after Ishan Kishan fell to Rabada in the third over, and got off the mark with consecutive fours off the same bowler. It wasn’t a duck, so he inevitably got to the 50 mark.Suryakumar then used his wrists to put away Harshal Patel for another boundary in the fifth, and followed it up with a cut over the off side off Sam Curran in the sixth. Along with Rohit Sharma, he helped Mumbai to 54 for 1 in the powerplay.Together, they would put on 81 in 57 balls, with Rohit contributing only 26 to the stand. Suryakumar dominated spinners Harpreet and Livingstone after the powerplay, but Rohit could not find the same fluency having been starved of strike for most of the stand. He fell in the 12th over for 35 when he tried to hit Curran over the covers but found the point fielder instead.By the time Rohit was gone, Suryakumar had already reached his fifty in 34 balls. His innings was unusually sluggish by his standards, but the two-paced surface and the change-up deliveries bowled by Harshal and Arshdeep Singh forced false strokes too.It needed Tilak Varma’s take-down of Arshdeep in the 15th over for Suryakumar to also break free in his familiar, trademark fashion, and he did that by bashing Rabada for four, six and six in the 16th after successfully reviewing an lbw decision earlier in the over.That 18-run Rabada over took Mumbai to 148 for 2 in 16 overs, and with big hitters to come, a score of over 200 seemed to be on. But Curran removed Suryakumar for a 53-ball 78 – only the second time he had faced 50-plus balls in an IPL innings – and Mumbai could not get a lot out of Hardik or Tim David. Harshal bowled a seven-run 20th over, which included three wickets, to keep Mumbai down to under 200.After the innings finished on 192 for 7, the highest first-innings IPL total in Mullanpur, Suryakumar told the broadcasters he felt the score was “way above par,” and his prophecy came true, but not without Mumbai surviving a massive scare.

Bryan Mbeumo has revealed how Ruben Amorim's pitch convinced him to sign for Manchester United this summer. After a long transfer saga, the Cameroonian completed his move to Old Trafford as the Red Devils agreed to pay £71 million ($95.5m) to Brentford. Mbeumo had also attracted strong interest from Tottenham and Newcastle, but he chose to join United.

Mbeumo reveals why he joined UnitedAmorim's pitch convinced himSpurs and Newcastle also wanted MbeumoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After 44 days of intense negotiations between United and Brentford, the Old Trafford outfit finally managed to secure a transfer for Bryan Mbeumo, as Amorim further bolstered his attack after signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Newcastle and Spurs were also keen on signing the talented winger and had Champions League football in their bag to convince Mbeumo, but he eventually chose to join United. The Cameroonian has now revealed what convinced him to reject the offers from Spurs and the Magpies in favour of joining the Red Devils.

WHAT MBEUMO SAID

Mbeumo said: "No [I never feared it would not happen], I always trust the people around me and I was convinced that it was going to happen. The transfer windows can be long, they can be short. So you have to be patient, and just try to keep thinking positively about things. I was obviously on my holidays, so I just wanted to think about resting mentally and physically and if it was going to happen, it was going to happen.

"Of course, I spoke to some other managers because I wanted to hear their projects but the Manchester United one was very good for me. I think I’m someone who likes a challenge. There is a very good project in Manchester and I wanted to be part of it. Manchester is a big club. I think it’s a great opportunity."

He added on his talks with Amorim: "He said ‘We are people who like winning and we want to be the best team’. And of course that’s what we will try to do. It was a very friendly conversation and a constructive one. He explained his project to me, what he wanted to do and I really clicked on that. I spoke to him and, yeah, he wanted me to come. It’s always good to have someone like him around."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Amorim's United are currently touring the U.S. for their pre-season preparations and will next face Bournemouth in a friendly match in Chicago on Thursday.

His Australia career will close out with the T20Is in New Zealand then the World Cup

Andrew McGlashan13-Feb-2024David Warner has played his last international innings in Australia. His retirement plan has been well known, so it comes as no surprise, but it remains a significant moment as he reaffirmed the T20 World Cup in June would mark his final outing for national duty.”Well and truly done,” he told Adam Gilchrist at the presentation ceremony in Perth where he was named player of the series. “It’s time for the youngsters to come through and showcase their talent. We’ve got extreme talent here. We’re in good stead for the future.”Related

David Warner is polarising opinion till the very end

Marsh declares Zampa Australia's 'most important player' ahead of the T20 World Cup

Warner signs off from Test cricket with a medley of his greatest hits

Warner: I want to be remembered as exciting and entertaining

Warner retires from ODIs but leaves door ajar for Champions Trophy

As he did in Test cricket a little over a month ago Warner signed off with a half-century, although this time his 81 off 49 balls wasn’t enough to take Australia to victory. Around his Test retirement, Warner also confirmed the end of his ODI career although did leave the door ajar for an appearance at next year’s Champions Trophy if the team “need someone.”He will head to New Zealand for the three-match T20I series next week then be part of the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA where Australia will try to become the first men’s side to hold all three ICC pieces of silverware alongside the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup.He looks primed to make an impact after scoring 173 runs in three innings against West Indies after coming into the series on the back of a lean run at the ILT20. In the first match in Hobart, he became just the third player, after Virat Kohli and Ross Taylor, to play 100 games in each format.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”It’s obviously been an amazing career for him,” captain Mitchell Marsh said. “I guess it’s kind of fitting for him to finish the way it has [with that innings]. “What a servant to Australian cricket. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a win for him.”It looks almost certain he will finish his career as Australia’s leading T20I run-scorer as he now sits just 53 behind Aaron Finch having gone past 3000 runs in Perth.Who will open with him at the World Cup remains uncertain although Travis Head is the frontrunner. Josh Inglis did it for two games against West Indies and Marsh opened in Perth.It remains possible that Warner will play professional cricket again in Australia with him previously stating his desire to continue in the BBL, but he will need to negotiate a new deal with Sydney Thunder with his previous two-year agreement ending this season.

Multan Sultans believed to be considering Olly Stone as replacement

Danyal Rasool12-Feb-2024

Multan Sultans have been dealt a dual blow, with injuries to fast bowlers Reece Topley and Ihsanullah ruling them out of the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League. While Ihsanullah has a long-standing elbow injury and his unavailability was expected, Topley’s absence was announced on Sunday by Sultans owner Ali Tareen.”[Topley] hasn’t received his NOC [no-objection certificate from England] and is out of the PSL,” Tareen tweeted.Topley hasn’t played in the PSL before, but had a full T20 workload through the winter, playing 12 games in the SA20 with Durban Super Giants, finishing ninth on the tournament wickets chart. He is also scheduled to play the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore.ESPNcricinfo understands his injury is not serious enough to imperil his participation in the IPL, and pulling him out of the PSL was a decision taken out of an abundance of caution with a T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean in June.It is understood Sultans wanted to replace Topley with South African quick Nandre Burger – who also had a stellar season in the SA20 – but was told by Cricket South Africa he wouldn’t be granted an NOC. They are believed to be considering Olly Stone, who played in the SA20 and the ILT20 recently, as well as Sri Lankan seamer Dushmantha Chameera. Chameera, however, injured his left quadriceps on Sunday and will be missing the rest of the white-ball series against Afghanistan. The extent of his injury is currently unknown.The PSL starts on Sunday, February 17. The Sultans have reached the final in each of the last two seasons, falling short at the hands of Lahore Qalandars each time.

MatériaMais Notícias

O ex-jogador Marcos Assunção, com passagem pela Seleção Brasileira, Palmeiras, Santos, Flamengo, Roma-ITA, e Betis-ESP, entre outros, vai voltar a promover o tradicional jogo beneficente “Amigos do Marcos Assunção”, que não acontece há dois anos em razão da pandemia. A partida acontece no dia 17 de dezembro, a partir das 10h, no Estádio Municipal de Caieiras “Carlos Ferracini”, em São Paulo, e a entrada do público é a doação de 2kg de alimentos não perecíveis.

Essa será a 17ª edição do evento, realizada em Caieiras-SP, cidade natal do ex-atleta, com o intuito de arrecadar alimentos para pessoas e entidades carentes da região.

RelacionadasCoritibaVictor Luís tem conversas para reforçar o CoritibaCoritiba08/12/2022BotafogoJoia do Botafogo, Matheus Nascimento fica fora da lista do Brasil no Sul-AmericanoBotafogo08/12/2022FortalezaFortaleza lança camisa ‘Invicta’ em homenagem a volta de Pikachu e aos títulos da Copa do NordesteFortaleza08/12/2022

Até o momento, já estão confirmados alguns craques que atuaram pelo futebol brasileiro e mundial, como Denílson, Zé Roberto, Amaral, Marcelinho Carioca, Júnior Baiano, Amoroso, Paulo Sérgio, Ricardo Oliveira, Edu (ex-Betis), Fábio Aurélio, Falcão (do futsal), o ex-pugilista Popó e o ex-jogador de vôlei Serginho Escadinha.

– É um momento de muita alegria, pois ficamos dois anos sem fazer esse jogo em razão da Covid-19, e agora retomamos com um sentimento de tentar oferecer o melhor para a nossa comunidade de Caieiras e região. É o lugar que eu cresci, que eu construí amigos e sei da necessidade e das dificuldades de muitas famílias. Esse evento tem a oportunidade de proporcionar entretenimento, com muitos craques do nosso futebol, e ao mesmo tempo arrecadar alimentos, que serão doados para essas pessoas mais carentes – afirma Marcos Assunção.

As novidades e presenças no evento podem ser acompanhadas pelo Instagram de Marcos Assunção: https://www.instagram.com/marcosassuncao20/

SERVIÇO:
Jogo “Amigos do Marcos Assunção”
Data: 17/12/2022 (sábado)
Horário: jogo a partir das 10h
Local: Estádio Municipal de Caieiras “Carlos Ferracini”
Endereço: Rua Portugal, 300 – Centro de Caieiras-SP
Entrada: 2kg de alimentos não perecíveis

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have set their sights on a high-profile defensive addition as they look to lure Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae to Riyadh. According to reports from Foot Mercato, the Saudi Pro League side has entered negotiations with the German champions to explore the possibility of acquiring the South Korean international this summer.

• Al-Nassr want Bayern centre-back Min-Jae
• Bavarians ready to negotiate for the defender
• Saudi side looking to replace Laporte

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kim made the switch to Bayern Munich in 2023 after a breakout season with Napoli, where his performances in Serie A earned him widespread recognition. Bayern activated his €50 million (£43m/$57m) release clause, bringing him in as a key addition to their backline. However, he could find himself slipping in the pecking order with the arrival of German international Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen.

Advertisement

• (C)Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kim is being lined up as a direct replacement for Aymeric Laporte, who could be on his way out after an inconsistent season at Al-Awwal Park. One of the most attractive attributes is Kim's experience in Europe’s top leagues. From his commanding displays in Serie A with Napoli to a strong showing in the Bundesliga, he has consistently proven his quality against elite opposition. Al-Nassr are hoping to inject that pedigree into their dressing room, especially as the Saudi Pro League grows increasingly competitive with each passing season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While no agreement has been finalised yet, talks between Al-Nassr and Bayern are understood to be progressing. Encouragingly for Al-Nassr, Kim is said to be open to the idea of joining the Riyadh-based club. With Laporte potentially exiting, the timing and fit of this transfer appear aligned for both club and player.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Al-Nassr are currently busy playing a string of pre-season friendlies as they gear up for the upcoming Pro League season. Their next match is against the Spanish side Almeria at the Estadio Mediterraneo on Sunday. After that, they will head back to Saudi Arabia to lock horns against arch-rivals Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup on August 19.

أصدر نادي الزمالك بيانًا لتوجيه مناشدة إلى الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي من أجل أن يتدخل لـ حل أزمة سحب أرض فرع النادي بمدينة 6 أكتوبر.

ونشرت الصفحة الرسمية لـ نادي الزمالك عبر موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”: “يتقدم مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك ممثلًا عن الملايين من جماهيره الوفية، بمناشدة إلى فخامة الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي رئيس الجمهورية، بصفته المُساند والداعم الأول للمؤسسات الوطنية والكيانات الرياضية الكبرى في دعم مسيرتها لرفعة الوطن”.

طالع | عبد الواحد السيد: الزمالك ينتظر “كوارث” بعد سحب أرض أكتوبر

وتابعت: “أملين تدخله لمساعدة النادي في استعادة أرض فرع نادي الزمالك في مدينة السادس من أكتوبر، التي تمثل حلم أجيال من الزملكاوية، وملاذًا حقيقيًا لبناء مستقبل يليق بتاريخ النادي وجماهيره”.

وأكملت: “فاليوم يقف كيان نادي الزمالك بتاريخه الممتد لأكثر من قرن أمام قضية مصيرية تتعلق بأرض نادي الزمالك في السادس من أكتوبر، لاستكمال بناء المستقبل الذي تحلم به جماهير القلعة البيضاء، أملين من فخامة الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي الذي عهدناه مساندًا قويا للرياضة المصرية أن ينظر بعين الاهتمام لمناشدة الزمالك بشأن مشروع النادي الجديد”.

وواصلت: “المشروع الذي سبق وتشرف بالحصول على موافقة مستشار رئيس الجمهورية للتخطيط العمراني بمنحه مهلة لمدة عامين لإتمام عملية البناء تنتهي في سبتمبر 2026”.

وأتمت: “نثق في عدلكم وحرصكم على نصرة الحق، ليبقى الزمالك دائمًا قلعة للرياضة المصرية وبيتًا للانتماء”.

Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss England’s opening T20I against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday after undergoing a “minor medical procedure”, her captain Heather Knight has revealed on the eve of the match.Knight said the absence of allrounder Sciver-Brunt opened the door for left-hander Freya Kemp to bat at No. 5. Allrounder Kemp is in England’s T20I squad purely as a batter as she continues her return from a back problem.”Nat Sciver-Brunt is unavailable tomorrow,” Knight told reporters on Friday. “She’ll be available for the next game. She’s had a minor medical procedure, so this game tomorrow comes a little bit too soon for her.”We obviously played those three T20s in New Zealand without her as well and without a few other players, so that gave us an opportunity to find out about a few people and add to our depth a little bit. There’s some good young allrounders coming through. Dani Gibson has been impressive, particularly with the ball at the back end. Freya Kemp is obviously a massive clean ball-striker and a left-hander which we don’t have a lot of in England, and when she’s back bowling as well, she’ll become a real asset.”There’s some really good talent coming through. It is just about guiding those younger players and keeping them on the right track to fulfil the potential that they have.”Related

• Nat Sciver-Brunt reveals she missed Pakistan T20I for egg-freezing procedure

• Powerplay: Scotland, Sri Lanka World Cup bound

• Fit-again Sarah Glenn ready for Pakistan after concussion lay-off

• No surprises in Nida Dar-led Pakistan side for white-ball tour of England

• Dunkley, Beaumont 'still in conversation' for T20 World Cup despite Pakistan omission

Maia Bouchier enjoyed a breakthrough tour of New Zealand in March, making the most of her opportunities at the top of the order amid the late arrivals of Danni Wyatt and Sciver-Brunt from the WPL as England won the T20I series 4-1.That tour was an important stepping stone in England’s build-up to the T20 Women’s World Cup in Bangladesh in October, as is this visit by Pakistan and the upcoming home series against New Zealand in June and July.”In New Zealand I felt like our T20 game evolved a little bit,” Knight said. “We played on pitches that were slightly more tricky in the powerplay, slightly bigger boundaries, and we had to play a slightly different game. That was really good for us. It probably added a few more tools in our bag and made us be a bit smarter with how we attacked, and how we put pressure back on the bowlers. There was a lot more hitting into pockets, hitting twos, it was harder to hit sixes out there.”I feel like that’s evolved us a lot as a side and evolved our method a little bit. That’s going to be the same in Bangladesh, it’s conditions that we haven’t played a huge amount of cricket in as a squad, so it’s about having as many skills in our cricket toolbox to try and call upon when we need them, and building settled positions. As a bowling unit as well, having different people to bowl in different positions and giving opportunities as and when there is the chance to do that.”Heather Knight during a practice session in Birmingham•PA Images via Getty Images

Meanwhile Pakistan are coming off the back of a disappointing tour by West Indies, who won their T20I series 4-1 and swept the ODIs 3-0. But Knight said there would be no complacency in her side as a result.”They’ve had some good results as well in New Zealand, they won that series away, which is a really good result for them,” Knight said of a Pakistan side captained by Nida Dar since last year, taking over from Bismah Maroof who recently retired from international cricket.”They’ve also got a new captain and a few retirements in their team and that quite often I think brings energy and reinvigorates the team, so we’re certainly not underestimating them at all. They’ve obviously got a few gaps to fill, so it’d be interesting who they bring in and what young talent they potentially bring in. It’ll be a good challenge for us.”The match in Birmingham is the first of three T20Is between the sides, with games in Northampton and Leeds to follow ahead of a three-match ODI series.