Surrey are expected to sign Lancashire allrounder Jordan Clark.Clark, who has been with Lancashire for a decade, is a hard-hitting batsman and strong seamer whose great ability is poorly reflected by modest career figures. Aged 27, his first-class batting is below 30 with one century and his bowling average above 34 with one five-wicket haul. That haul came earlier this season against Yorkshire and included a hat-trick dubbed the greatest ever as he removed Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow.But he is a dangerous player who should have his best years in front of him and can significantly improve those statistics. He can contribute with bat, ball and in the field in all three formats and, as showed when he hit six sixes in an over in a 2nd XI match in 2013, has huge power.ESPNcricinfo understands Surrey have offered a three-year deal. It seems Clark is seen as back-up for Sam Curran, who may well be on England duty frequently over the next decade or two, and in the longer term as a replacement for Rikki Clarke who is playing some of the best cricket of his career but is 37 next month.It is also understood Clark was previously of interest to Warwickshire.Meanwhile Northants fast bowler Richard Gleeson is understood to be in discussion with several clubs, notably Yorkshire, Hampshire and Warwickshire. Something of a late developer – he is 30 and has played only 20 first-class and 29 T20 games – he is blessed with sharp pace and, before injury intervened earlier this season, was starting to be of genuine interest to the England selectors. None of the injuries – one of which was an elbow problem caused by fielding training – is thought to be serious or long-lasting.Surrey’s Matt Pillans is also on the move. The seamer signed a three-year deal with Yorkshire a few weeks ago, though it has yet to be announced.

MatériaMais Notícias

O auxiliar-técnico do Botafogo, Emiliano Díaz, foi incisivo ao avaliar a maneira como o elenco tem de se preparar para sair da situação complicada na qual se encontra no Campeonato Brasileiro. Em entrevista coletiva online exibida pela Botafogo TV após a derrota por 2 a 1 do Glorioso par ao Fortaleza, o argentino afirmou.

– Sabíamos que a situação do Botafogo era complicada e que precisaríamos trabalhar a parte tática, física e psicológica. O que temos de tirar deste jogo é a necessidade de trabalhar, trabalhar, trabalhar… Falar pouco e trabalhar muito.Principalmente, pelo Botafogo, que confiou em nós – e, em seguida, declarou:

– Sabemos que não há tempo, de 17 partidas precisamos ganhar oito para ficar tranquilos para o Botafogo não depender de ninguém. Simplesmente de ninguém – completou.

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O interino avaliou o que custou a derrota para o Tricolor do Pici no Nilton Santos.

– Cometemos erros. Estamos sofrendo gols com muita facilidade. Isso é o que temos que melhorar. Além disso, quando tentamos, a sorte não está nos acompanhando – declarou.

O Botafogo, com 20 pontos, vai a campo nesta quarta-feira para enfrentar o Atlético-MG, às 21h30, no Mineirão.

دائمًا ما تكون البطولات المجمعة التي تلعب في الصيف، مثل خشبة المسرح لعرض جميع اللاعبين إمكانياتهم، في ظل اهتمام الأندية الكبرى بالتعاقد معهم.

هذا الصيف تلعب بطولتا كوبا أمريكا ويورو 2024، وتحديدًا البطولة الأوروبية، التي يتواجد بها عدد كبير من اللاعبين المرتبطين بأندية كبرى في القارة العجوز.

ليفربول أحد الأندية التي ترغب في تعزيز صفوفها، خاصة مع رحيل يورجن كلوب، وعدد من اللاعبين الآخرين، ومرحلة تجديد الدماء في أكثر من مركز تحت قيادة الهولندي آرني سلوت.

قبل بطولة اليورو، ارتبط ليفربول بالعديد من اللاعبين، منهم من كان على طاولة مفاوضات الريدز لخلافة محمد صلاح الذي قد يرحل بنهاية الموسم المقبل إلى الدوري السعودي.

طالع أيضًا.. تشيلسي يتفوق على ليفربول في صراع التعاقد مع كريم أديمي

وبالنظر لأداء عدد كبير من اللاعبين في البطولة، فقد تغيّر بطولة يورو 2024، خريطة ميركاتو ليفربول.

أولًا، اللاعب جواو نيفيز، الذي ارتبط بتدعيم وسط ملعب ليفربول من بنفيكا، فقد شارك في بطولة يورو 2024 مع المنتخب البرتغالي في مواجهتي تركيا لمدة دقيتقين، وجورجيا أساسيًا في 75 دقيقة.

اللاعب الشاب صاحب الـ19 عامًا لم يتمكن من لفت الأنظار في البطولة، مما أدى لتراجع أسهمه في الالتحاق بـ ليفربول في الصيف الجاري.

وحسب التقارير فإن باريس سان جيرمان الآن أصبح يتفوق على الريدز في التعاقد مع الموهوب البرتغالي.

ثانيًا، جيريمي فريمبونج، لاعب باير ليفركوزن الذي تألق تحت قيادة تشابي ألونسو في الموسم الماضي، وكان احد الأعمدة الأساسية للمدرب الإسباني.

في بطولة اليورو، شارك في 3 مباريات مع المنتخب الهولندي، ولم يتواجد أساسيًا سوى في مباراة واحدة فقط ضد فرنسا، ولم يصنع أو يسجل أي هدف، مع مشاركة 9 دقائق ضد بولندا و 3 دقائق أمام تركيا.

قد يتألق فريمبونج في مباراة نصف النهائي أو النهائي في حالة تأهل هولندا، ولكن حتى الآن، تراجعت أسهمه أيضًا لخلافة محمد صلاح في ليفربول.

اللاعب الثالث، ريكاردو كالافيوري، نجم بولونيا الإيطالي وأحد نجوم منتخب الأزوري في البطولة، ارتبط بالريدز خلال يورو 2024، بعد تألقه أمام ألبانيا في الافتتاح.

التقارير البريطانية ربطته بـ ليفربول، ولكن مع مرور الوقت، فقد تفوق عليه آرسنال وأصبح الأقرب للتعاقد مع اللاعب الإيطالي صاحب الـ22 عامًا.

حتى الآن لم يحسم شيء لصالح آرسنال، وقد تتطور الأحداث في الأيام المقبلة ويتمكن الريدز من خطف المدافع الشاب من أمام الجانرز.

اللاعب الرابع، أنتوني جوردون، اللاعب الإنجليزي الذي دخل ليفربول في مفاوضات معه قبل البطولة لضمه من نيوكاسل يونايتد، ورغم أنه لم يشارك إلا في مباراة واحدة في اليورو، لكن الريدز قد يكون سعيدًا بذلك.

سعادة ليفربول تكمُن في أن عدم مشاركة جوردون، لن يلفت الأنظار إليه، مما يجعل الأمر أسهل بالنسبة للريدز لعدم وجود منافسة على صاحب الـ23 عامًا، الذي يعتبر من ضمن ناشئين النادي.

وأخيرًا، اللاعب الخامس، باريش ألبير يلماز، الذي لفت الأنظار بتألقه مع المنتخب التركي في بطولة يورو 2024، وارتبط بالانتقال إلى ليفربول.

شارك باريس يلماز في الـ5 مباريات للمنتخب التركي في البطولة، وأصبح على رادار ليفربول من أجل تدعيم مركز الجناح الأيمن أو الأيسر، خاصة وأنه يلعب في المركزين.

اللاعب التركي لديه عقد حتى 2027، ولم تظهر أي مفاوضات ملموسة بين ليفربول وجالطة سراي للتعاقد معه، ولكن يعتبر من أهم الاكتشافات في اليورو بالنسبة للريدز.

إذًا بالنظر لما سبق، فإن بطولة يورو 2024، قد تغيّر من خريطة ميركاتو ليفربول، واللاعبين الذين كانوا ذو أولوية في التعاقدات تراجعت أسمهم، وحل محلهم أسماء أخرى.

Chelsea have experienced plenty of ups and downs over the past few years, which is expected after winning the Champions League in 2021.

The Blues have had the pleasure of witnessing some of the world's best players come through the doors at Stamford Bridge.

In recent times, however, the club have orchestrated some of their worst exchanges of the Premier League era, shelling out extortionate amounts of money on supposedly world-class talent.

While the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga steal the headlines in that regard, the arrival of Tiemoue Bakayoko is firmly up there on the list of bad buys.

When did Chelsea sign Tiemoue Bakayoko?

Following the close of the 2016/17 Premier League season, Antonio Conte had just experienced the jubilation of winning England's top title and was provided with a war chest of funds to continue delivering success.

The Italian decided to splash the cash across the pitch, coming across some top talent but also failing to hit the sweet spot in equal measure.

The acquisitions of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal and Antonio Rudiger from Real Madrid represented the former of the two, having gone on to have prosperous careers in west London.

On the other hand, Conte's spending took a turn for the worse with the record £58m signing of Alvaro Morata, Italian right-back Davide Zappacosta, central midfielder Ross Barkley and defensive midfielder Bakayoko.

Bakayoko, who was snapped up from Monaco for £40m, was one of the talents who arrived with high hopes after becoming a crucial cog in Monaco's Ligue 1 title-winning campaign, alongside Fabinho, Bernardo Silva and Kylian Mbappe.

How much did Tiemoue Bakayoko cost Chelsea?

Chelsea have become accustomed to acquiring talents that are a drain on the club's resources and Bakayoko was no different.

Initially, it looked as though the Frenchman was going to form a strong partnership with the exceptional N'Golo Kante in the engine room, although it quickly became apparent that Bakayoko wasn't up to speed with the pace of the Premier League.

Instead of focusing on his responsibility on the pitch, he came out and made a bold claim about his French teammate in an attempt to deflect the attention away from his own poor performance.

In a bitter response about being left out of the French squad, he said: ‘I feel [Adrien] Rabiot, Kante, [Blaise] Matuidi, [Corentin] Tolisso are not better than me. I respect the coach’s decision and I also respect the players who were called up – they are talented, some are friends of mine."

Despite making an arrogant claim about Kante, in particular, Bakayoko failed to use that arrogance as fuel on the pitch, featuring 43 times in his debut season but only managing to muster up six goal contributions.

Remarkably, Bakayoko was on the books of Chelsea for six years till his departure this summer to Lorient and earned £110k-per-week, as per Spotrac.

As a result of the conditions of his multiple loan moves, it meant the Blues were fortunately very rarely ever paying him the full package throughout that half a dozen years, but when you consider the sole full year he was at the club, it was a transfer that cost around £46m, without bonuses taken into consideration. Such a deal means he abysmally cost £15m per goal and £8m for every yellow card.

The 6 foot 2 dud failed to ever made the grade in London and during his time at AC Milan in 2018, Bakayoko earned mixed reviews for his performances.

Whilst sections of the Italian media brandished him as a "disaster", his manager at the time, Grenaro Gattuso, remarkably likened him to former Chelsea star Marcel Desailly for the role he played in their comeback victory over Parma.

Gattuso said: "With my assistant we said he reminds us of [Marcel] Desailly, even if maybe Bakayoko is even more technical."

To describe Bakayoko as technically better than the Chelsea legend beggars belief considering how his career at Stamford Bridge unravelled into a nightmare.

يدرس نادي برشلونة المنافس في بطولة الدوري الإسباني التعاقد مع صفقة قوية من السعودية لتدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم خلال الموسم القادم.

ويبحث برشلونة عن تدعيم شامل للفريق وفقًا لطلبات المدير الفني، هانز فليك، الذي يسعى هو الآخر لإعادة الفريق الكتالوني إلى سابق عهده كما صرح بالأمس، السبت.

ولكن الأمر لن يكون سهلًا لأن برشلونة يعاني ماديًا ويحتاج إلى رحيل بعض اللاعبين لتمويل الصفقات الجديدة، وحتى الآن لم يعلن عن أي لاعب جديد.

وبحسب صحيفة “سبورت” الكتالونية أن برشلونة يفكر في ضم لاعب وسط الاتحاد ومنتخب فرنسا، نجولو كانتي، الذي عاد إلى قائمة المرشحين من جديد.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رافا ماركيز يستعد لمغادرة برشلونة من أجل منتخب وطني

رغم تقدم كانتي في العمر ووصوله إلى سن 33 عامًا إلا أنه ما زال يتمتع بقوة بدنية كبيرة في وسط الملعب حتى مع انتقاله إلى السعودية ولكنه قدم مستوى رائعًا للغاية في يورو 2024 مع منتخب فرنسا.

وحصل كانتي خلال يورو 2024 على جائزة رجل المباراة مرتين وساهم في وصول فرنسا إلى دور نصف النهائي قبل الخروج أمام إسبانيا.

ويريد برشلونة منذ فترة طويلة الحصول على لاعب في مركز الوسط الدفاعي بعد رحيل سيرجيو بوسكيتس في العام الماضي وعدم ظهور أوريول روميو بالمستوى المطلوب.

يرغب النادي الكتالوني في استعارة كانتي من الاتحاد ولكن الأخير غير مستعد في الوقت الحالي لقبول رحيل الفرنسي خاصة بعد رفض عرض وست هام يونايتد.

إذا لم ينجح برشلونة في ضم كانتي سيكون هناك تركيز على لاعب ريال سوسيداد، ميكل ميرينو، الذي تألق هو الآخر في يورو 2024.

Tridents finished their home stretch with their fifth straight loss, and their fate for a semi-final spot now depends on results from other matches

The Report by Peter Della Penna02-Sep-2018David Warner fields during a CPL game•CPL T20/Getty Images

Barbados Tridents completed a winless home stretch in CPL 2018, suffering their fifth straight loss to put themselves in danger of missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season as St Lucia Stars claimed a six-wicket win to keep their own marginal playoff hopes alive.A disciplined bowling effort beginning with CPL debutant spinner Christopher Lamont restricted the Tridents to 135 after being sent in before the Stars chased down the target with ease in spite of Jason Holder’s controversial double-strike either side of the drinks break.Better late than neverAt age 30, Lamont had yet to play a T20 match in his career and didn’t have much other high-level cricket behind him either with eight List A and two first-class matches on his resume since making his debut for Jamaica in December 2017. But the late bloomer showed his worth after sitting on the bench all year for the Stars by claiming Man-of-the-Match honours after striking twice in the first seven overs to dent a short-handed Tridents lineup that was playing without the injured Steven Smith, who was ruled out for the season ahead of the match with an abdominal strain.Given the new ball, the left-arm spinner struck in his second over thanks to a brilliant effort from Odean Smith at mid-off, who leapt high to deflect Dwayne Smith’s firm drive and parry the ball to himself on the rebound while falling backwards. After Kieron Pollard took a similarly sharp diving catch at mid-on in the next over off the bowling of Kesrick Williams to claim Martin Guptill, Lamont produced a fine athletic effort in his final over to take a return catch as he lunged forward to claim Shai Hope’s leading edge, leaving the Tridents in an early hole at 50 for 3, one which they struggled to climb out of.Aside from Hashim Amla’s 35 off 34 balls at No. 3, nobody else crossed 20 in the innings. Solid death bowling by Williams and Obed McCoy, who each finished with two wickets, prevented Tridents middle-order from a late burst as just three sixes and three fours were struck in the final seven overs of the Tridents innings.What on Irf is he eating for breakfast?Perhaps the lone bright spot in a horrid run at Kensington Oval for the Tridents has been the sustained Powerplay excellence of Mohammad Irfan. The giant left-arm quick who came close to a literally flawless spell last weekend claimed two more wickets in his first three overs again on Sunday afternoon, ending the five-match home stretch with seven scalps.Andre Fletcher was Irfan’s first victim, splicing a leading edge to mid-off in the second over that ended as a wicket maiden, though his streak of seven dots seemed mild compared to the 23 straight he had against Patriots four matches prior. The Stars’ revolving door of opening partners for Fletcher continued to have little success as Rahkeem Cornwall was promoted to open but fell in the fourth over, edging behind a pull to end a fiery cameo for 18 off 11 balls leaving the Stars at 24 for 2 in the fourth over.Third umpire’s a charmStars rebounded from Irfan’s spell with a 56-run stand courtesy of Chandrapaul Hemraj and David Warner that was finally broken by Holder on the second to last ball of the 10th over. Hemraj had struck three fours and three sixes in a somewhat streaky knock before playing over the top of a pull to be bowled for 37.Pollard arrived to complete the final ball of the over after the drinks break but was struck on the toe by a yorker that appeared to be drifting down the leg side yet was given out by umpire Leslie Reifer to make it 80 for 4. If the on-field decision appeared dubious, Shaun George’s examination of the front foot landing from the third umpire’s chair raised even more red flags. Holder’s foot appeared to clearly land beyond the line on TV replays but Pollard’s wicket was upheld, spurring Stars coach Brad Hodge to have a visit with the match referee.The decision wound up not hurting the Stars in the end though. With the equation already under a run-a-ball at the start of the final 10 overs, Warner and Lendl Simmons produced a 56-run stand to coast across the line with 15 balls to spare. Ashley Nurse spilt a six over the rope off Simmons on the penultimate ball before Simmons slapped a four down the ground next ball for the winning runs to conclude the Tridents’ dismal home stretch in symbolic fashion.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Fluminense midfielder Andre in the January transfer window, but now a significant new update has emerged.

Liverpool linked with Andre

The Reds may have re-stocked their midfield in the summer, getting rid of various marquee names like Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita, and signing Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, but that's not to say that their business in that area is done just yet.

Mac Allister has found it tough in the No.6 role at times this season, struggling with a lack of pace and physicality, and it could be argued that a more natural defensive midfielder is needed, allowing the former Brighton man to move further up the pitch.

Andre has been linked with a switch to Liverpool numerous times in recent months, with a summer transfer failing to come to fruition after he committed his future to the Brazilian side for the rest of 2023.

The 22-year-old looks almost certain to leave in the winter, having just clinched Copa Libertadores glory last weekend, and the Reds have seemingly been the favourites to snap him up all along.

Now, the situation looks to have changed, though, which could be a real concern for Jurgen Klopp, as he looks to inspire his side to a genuine Premier League title push in 2023/24.

Fulham now favourites to sign Andre

According to a fresh transfer update from UOL [via Sport Witness], Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their quest to sign Andre from Fluminense, without Fulham now the front-runners to get their man.

The Cottagers have emerged as the "strongest candidate in England" to acquire the signature of the Brazil international, and he is even described as a "priority target" for the west Londoners. Andre is seen as someone who could come in and fill the potential void left by Joao Palhinha, should the Portuguese star join Bayern Munich in January.

Liverpool are believed to have sent scouts to watch the South American on Saturday's Copa Libertadores win over Boca Juniors, but it doesn't look as though he is as strong a target as he once was. It is claimed that the Reds and Arsenal could now pull the plug and look at other options, with Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz name-checked as an option for the Gunners, but no new targets named specifically for Liverpool.

To miss out on Andre now would be a massive blow for Klopp. While he isn't necessarily an out-and-out No.6, Andre possesses more dynamism and defence-minded expertise than Mac Allister, suggesting that he could be a brilliant signing for many years to come.

Should he suddenly be off the table, however, it is important that Liverpool look for an alternative to the Fluminense ace, with Mac Allister an excellent player as a No.8, but not someone who is likely to be able to play as a defensive midfielder week in, week out for an eventual title-winning side, as he showed in a below-par performance at Luton Town last Sunday.

MatériaMais Notícias

O camisa dez do São Paulo Daniel Alves recebeu uma homenagem em Juazeiro, na Bahia, sua terra natal. Uma estátua do jogador foi inaugurada nesta terça-feira (08), na cidade.O atleta se disse feliz pela homenagem, mas disse que está orgulhoso pela chance de representar sua terra natal por todo o planeta.

VEJA A TABELA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

– Hoje é um dia muito especial para mim, já que eu acabei de receber uma homenagem linda. Não pela estátua, não por qualquer coisa supérflua, mas sim por me sentir orgulhoso de sair de Juazeiro e representá-la pelo mundo. Agradeço o prefeito Paulo Bonfim pela homenagem.Hoje, um filho da terrinha aí está muito feliz com essa homenagem. E que essa imagem seja apenas para exemplificar aos nordestinos, juazeirenses, que eles também podem – disse Dani em suas redes sociais.

Além de agradecer pela homenagem, o ex-Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus e PSG, deixou uma mensagem inspiradora para seus fãs.

– Não desistam de seus sonhos. Eles são possíveis. Você tem que querer de corpo e alma. E, no fim, tudo vale a pena. Hoje sou feliz, não por chegar onde cheguei, mas por ser exemplo para muitos sonhadores – afirmou.

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Tottenham Hotspur could move to sign a "game-changer" if out-of-favour midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg departs in the January transfer window.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg latest

The biggest casualty of Spurs' blistering start to the new Premier League season has been, without question, Antonio Conte's former midfield favourite. Hojbjerg, once a mainstay and lynchpin of Conte's midfield at Tottenham, now finds himself on the periphery of Ange Postecoglou's starting eleven – watching on from the sidelines as his side enjoy an imperious run of form without him.

Hojbjerg has started precisely zero games under Postecoglou this season, making all of his appearances from the substitute's bench as both Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma become stars of Spurs' new-look dual midfield pivot. The Denmark international, as a result, is said to be weighing up a January transfer away from north London (Fabrizio Romano), and Serie A giants Juventus are billed as top suitors.

The former Southampton star made 35 league starts last season, scoring four goals and assisting five others, all while featuring amond Tottenham's best-performing players per 90 according to WhoScored. As a result, members of the media praised the "sensational" Hojbjerg for his contribution (Seb Stafford-Bloor). Former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson also told Football Insider that he was playing his best football at one point during 22/23.

"I’ve been surprised by how much he has stepped up this year," said Robinson.

"I thought he was the one who would make way for Yves Bissouma. The club spent a lot of money on Bissouma. I think Hojbjerg recognised that and stepped up. He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt."

Who could replace Hojbjerg at Tottenham?

Despite the Dane's past form, he doesn't quite fit into Postecoglou's system, meaning Spurs are now weighing up possible replacements. Tottenham's new manager appears to favour more creativity in his midfield, as emphasised by the club's summer signing of James Maddison, who has gone on to absolutely thrive at his new club after joining from Leicester City.

Journalist Rudy Galetti, sharing some Spurs transfer news for Tribal Football, writes that Hojbjerg's exit could open opportunities this January. Indeed, dropping the latest transfer update on Conor Gallagher and his future at Chelsea, the reporter claims Tottenham could move for the 23-year-old if Hojbjerg does indeed depart.

He adds that Giovani Lo Celso is a "main name" on the Lilywhites exit list.

"The main names are Giovani Lo Celso and Pierre Hojbjerg," wrote Galetti this week.

"The chances of seeing them leave in January – towards Spain – are growing: For the Argentine midfielder, Tottenham are also open to evaluating the idea of a loan, while the eventual farewell of the Danish midfielder – Atletico Madrid are always interested – could open up some scenarios, including the possible assault on Conor Gallagher."

Likes to play long-balls

Plays the ball off the ground

Gallagher has gone on to become a fixture of Mauricio Pochettino's starting eleven this season, having also once been called a "game-changer" by ex-Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas on Match of the Day.

Afghanistan and Pakistan’s relationship has far less to do with cricket than it ideally should

The preview by Danyal Rasool20-Sep-20181:02

Are the teams getting enough rest at the Asia Cup?

Big pictureAfter much confusion, anger and bewilderment about the scheduling of the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup, it comes as a mild relief simply to know which side plays on a particular day, and at what venue. Pakistan will take on Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, while in the other game, India do battle with Bangladesh.Pakistan have a fascinating time ahead in what’s left of the Asia Cup, with arguably the only two sides they wouldn’t regard as rivals already knocked out. There are political tensions with all of India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan that can spell testy affairs on the pitch. But there’s little doubt the most flummoxing, contradictory relationship in world cricket is the one that exists between Afghanistan and Pakistan.This is what Facebook’s “It’s complicated” option was made for in the golden days of social media when cynicism about making intimate details of your life wasn’t quite at the high it is now. Cynicism is also a trait that’s pervaded dealings between these two nations, and eroded trust after a heart-warming early alliance that seemed to be the spirit of cricket handbook come to life.The Pakistan Cricket Board took Afghanistan under its wing, eager to help its cricket improve, with several Afghan players training at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. Pakistan was the first Full Member to play an ODI against Afghanistan, and there is little doubt Afghanistan cricket would have risen as rapidly as it has without the PCB’s help in its early years.Fakhar Zaman punches through the off side•AFPBut times, and politics, changed, and when Pakistan and Afghanistan grew apart diplomatically and a devastating bomb blast in Kabul last year officially heralded the severing of cricketing ties. Invariably – inevitably, perhaps – relations between the BCCI and Afghanistan are much warmer, with India hosting Afghanistan for their first Test match earlier this year. Pakistan, aggrieved their initial support doesn’t quite get the same recognition in Afghanistan are unlikely to have taken kindly to the friendlier Indo-Afghan relationship.You may wonder why cricket has barely been mentioned. It’s because, in the big picture, Afghanistan and Pakistan’s relationship has far less to do with cricket than it ideally should.But on the pitch, Afghanistan have already exceeded expectations by qualifying for this stage at Sri Lanka’s expense. They have done so in fine style, beating more fancied opponents and coming through as group winners. That’s more than can be said of Pakistan, who put in perhaps the most disappointing ODI performance in years as India walloped them by eight wickets with 21 overs to spare. They need to come back strong, and it’s not like Afghanistan are going to make it easy for them.Form guideAfghanistan WWWLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWWWIn the spotlightBarring injury, there is little doubt Rashid Khan will dominate batsman for years to come. He is the man most likely to go down as Afghanistan’s first genuine superstar, a man already at the top of his field and yet he is only 20 years old. While he doesn’t impart much flight on the ball, his uncanny accuracy, accompanied by a lethal googly, can outwit the most disciplined of opponents. His batting, too, has come on in leaps and bounds; he scored a whirlwind 57 off 32 balls against Bangladesh, turning a paltry 160 for 7 into the ultimately match-winning 255. He followed that up with figures of 9-013-2 in what was a Man-of-the-Match display. It’s fair to say he won’t be short of confidence when he takes on Pakistan.Rashid Khan belts out an appeal•AFPIndia were tremendous against Pakistan in the first 10 overs, knocking over Pakistan’s much-vaunted opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq simply by cutting off their scoring areas. Afghanistan, while pushovers in no way, don’t quite have the attack to execute that plan as perfectly as India did on Wednesday, and the openers will be itching to get back to their run scoring best. The top order’s contribution becomes even more vital given how devoid of match practice the middle order has been lately. Afghanistan will not have missed how brutally it was exposed against India as Pakistan slumped from 85 for 2 to 121 for 7.Team newsAfghanistan have been forced to play back-to-back games which might test their fitness, but they’re unlikely to tinker with a winning combination.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Ihsanullah, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4, Hashmatullah Shahidi, 5 Asghar Afghan (capt), 6 Samiullah Shenwari, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Gulbadin Naib, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Aftab Alam, 11 Mujeeb Ur RehmanPakistan were toying with the idea of dropping Mohammad Amir for the game against India. Although he wasn’t, his wicket-taking threat has been decreasing and he may finally find himself on the bench on Friday. More worryingly, Shadab Khan limped off midway through an over and is a serious doubt, which brings Pakistan’s reserve spinner, Mohammad Nawaz, firmly into play.Pakistan (probable): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 6 Asif Ali 7 Shadab Khan/ Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Junaid Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Usman KhanPitch and conditionsSpin is likely to play a major part again and Afghanistan, who comfortably outgun Pakistan in this department – even if Shadab was fit – will look to strangle Pakistan the same way they did Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The heat means the winner of the toss is likely to bat first.Stats and trivia Rashid Khan is the only player to have reached 100 ODI wickets before his 20th birthday – which was the day his team was taking on Bangladesh in the group stage Pakistan’s loss against India was their first ODI defeat in the UAE in nearly three years, when they lost to England in November 2015. Since then, they had won nine matches in a row at their adopted home grounds, three against the West Indies, five last year against Sri Lanka and one against Hong Kong