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There’s no certainty Liverpool will sign an out-and-out striker in the summer transfer market, even with Darwin Nunez in the process of leaving Anfield and joining Serie A champion Napoli.

It’s funny: in the build-up to the market, many of a Reds persuasion would have ranked the acquisition of a high-level striker among Richard Hughes’ chief priorities as Liverpool’s sporting director.

However, the Reds have armed themselves with a wide breadth of fresh quality, and though they are yet to sign a centre-forward, there’s no question that Arne Slot has the tools to defend his Premier League title and challenge for the various other trophies up for grabs.

Signing a new striker would hardly be a bad thing, though, especially with rumours linking Liverpool to Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who was declared “the best striker in the Premier League” by pundit Jamie Carragher last season.

However, should Luis Diaz be on the move too, that stance will no doubt change.

Luis Diaz's Liverpool future: the latest

At the start of June, Liverpool reportedly rejected a formal approach from Barcelona for their trusty forward Diaz. The 28-year-old hit 17 goals and eight assists across all competitions last season, filling in plenty at number nine to compensate for the struggles of Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Liverpool’s supposed stance is that he’s going nowhere, but that hasn’t stopped a gurgling stream of rumours from flowing through.

With interest coming from the Saudi Pro League too, there’s every chance the Colombian moves ship after his successful year in Slot’s system, for he has just two years remaining on his current deal and earns a comparatively meagre salary at £55k per week.

Given the potential finances involved in an agreement with a team like Al-Nassr, Liverpool’s position may well shift, though it would mean that the Merseysiders would need to sign a replacement.

Diaz’s dynamic qualities worked a treat for Slot last year, bringing something unique to the squad. Such players are few and far between, although Hughes has found a potential successor with similar properties.

Liverpool line up Diaz replacement

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman this summer, albeit they are behind Arsenal in the race at this stage.

The Gunners, who have a long-standing interest in the 27-year-old, are engaged in negotiations, with the Serie A side seeking a €50m (£43m) fee.

With Hughes keeping an eye on Lookman, things may yet accelerate. A deal would depend on the outcome of Diaz’s quandary, but given his dynamic faculties, it’s a move worth exploring.

Why Liverpool should sign Ademola Lookman

Liverpool have one of the best left-sided forwards in the business in Cody Gakpo, but the Dutchman would need competition if Diaz were to leave.

Mohamed Salah is a matchless forward, but he turned 33 this month and cannot be expected to haul such a heavy load again without more goalscoring support from his peers – Lookman could help in that regard, for sure.

Lookman, indeed, could blend the skill sets together, especially as he has some experience as his team’s focal frontman, and performing prolifically at that.

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Broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos praised Lookman for his “monster” 2023/24 season, winning the Europa League and posting 27 goal involvements across 45 matches.

It was his stunning hat-trick which won Atalanta the Europa League and ended Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible unbeaten run, which stretched across the vast chasm of a campaign.

There was no doubting it: this former Everton, Leicester City and Fulham prospect, who never quite brought it together in the Premier League, was a “superstar”, as had been said by 90min’s Sean Walsh.

Perhaps he didn’t quite reach the same heights last year, but he still scored 20 goals and provided seven assists for his Italian outfit – a higher tally than Diaz for Liverpool, it should be noted.

And the underlying data speaks in his favour too. As per FBref, Lookman ranked among the top 4% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last year for goals, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90.

With Newcastle set to demand £200m for Isak this summer, Liverpool might be better off heading down this left-field track and signing a versatile forward who was recognised for his talent at a young age and has since realised his potential after first weathering adversity.

After all, FBref’s data reveals the Sweden international to have been among Lookman’s most comparable strikers in 2024/25, having played with a roundedness that aligns with the complete nature of Isak’s skill set, as has been noted by pundit Alan Shearer, who said in January, “his all-round game is magnificent.”

His performances out wide have also led the stats-led site to draw up Salah as one of his most comparable wingers, something which should hardly come as a surprise given the Nigerian’s ball-striking prowess and direct style of play.

Would he be expected to emulate Salah’s ridiculous output? Absolutely not. The Egyptian King scored 34 goals and supplied 23 assists in Slot’s system last year.

But the fact that Liverpool are pursuing a player with a semblance of their talisman bodes well for Slot’s project, especially as Lookman would be best utilised centrally or out on the left, meaning the forwards could play side-by-side.

All this hinges on Diaz’s fate, of course, but with so much exciting activity happening on Merseyside this summer, there are so many reasons to be excited for Liverpool fans.

A Mane repeat: Liverpool likely to finalise move for £40m "monster" soon

Liverpool have enjoyed a fantastic transfer window and it’s not slowing down.

1 ByMatt Dawson Jun 29, 2025

Glasgow Rangers could soon get the chance to bring a Champions League striker to Ibrox, with the forward in question open to the idea of a potential Gers move.

Rangers forwards Dessers and Igamane linked with Ibrox exits

Russell Martin is the man tasked by the 49ers Enterprises with bringing Scottish Premiership glory back to Ibrox, and the Gers are also looking to qualify for the Champions League, starting with next months qualifier against Greek side Panathinaikos.

However, Martin could be without some star attackers for the two-legged European clash at the end of July, with Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane both mooted to leave Glasgow this summer.

Rangers identify £6.5m forward who plays like Immobile to replace Igamane

Rangers’ recruitment team have identified a new striker to replace Hamza Igamane.

ByBrett Worthington Jun 27, 2025

Dessers could end up moving to Greece with AEK Athens after agreeing a £30,000-a-week contract, however, the two clubs are yet to shake hands on a fee with the Gers rejecting a £4.5m offer.

Meanwhile, Igamane has agreed personal terms with Ligue 1 side Lille over a Rangers exit, and like Dessers, there is still work to be done over reaching an agreement on a fee.

Should both depart, then reinforcements will be required in the final third ahead of the 2025/26 season, and by the looks of things, one man is keen on the idea of joining Lyall Cameron and Max Aarons through the Ibrox door.

Luuk de Jong “open” to Rangers move

According to reports from the Netherlands, relayed by The Daily Record, experienced striker Luuk de Jong would be “open” to a move to Rangers this summer.

The 34-year-old is on course to become a free agent when his PSV Eindhoven contract expires at the end of the month, and there is hesitation over new terms, with Ricardo Pepi set to be first-choice striker next season.

After three years with PSV, De Jong captained the Dutch side throughout the 24/25 season, including in the Champions League.

A Netherlands international, De Jong’s future is up in the air and Rangers are ‘touted as an interested party’, something he could be open to as he reaches the twilight years of his career.

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As can be seen, De Jong, who stands at 6 foot 2, has scored goals in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany during his career, so he could be a shrewd addition who would provide plenty of experience for Martin.

Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman even labelled De Jong as “more dangerous than Neymar” for his threat in the air, and during his career, the striker has scored 113 headed goals.

“When there’s a cross coming in, Luuk is more dangerous than Neymar. He’s a different kind of forward to what we have, and I think all teams should have one like him.”

Celtic forward Daizen Maeda continued his sensational season with yet another goal in the club’s 5-1 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership last weekend.

The Hoops romped to a comfortable victory in front of their home support to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat away to St. Johnstone in their previous outing in the top-flight.

A close-range strike from Maeda, as well as some stunning goals from Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers, helped the Scottish giants on their way to all three points.

Brendan Rodgers’ Japanese marksman has been in phenomenal form in front of goal throughout the 2024/25 campaign, notching his 31st goal of the season against Kilmarnock.

The experienced forward has scored 31 goals and provided nine assists in 45 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops so far this term, which shows that he has provided a regular threat in front of goal as both a scorer and a creator for Celtic.

Rodgers needed him, and others, to step up at the top end of the pitch after the club sanctioned the sale of proven goalscorer Kyogo Furuhashi in the January transfer window.

How much Rennes paid for Kyogo Furuhashi

Shortly after Celtic’s 1-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League, there was talk about a possible move to France for the Japanese forward before the deadline.

Six days on from that victory, which turned out to be the striker’s last appearance for the club, Rennes officially completed the signing of Kyogo for a reported fee of £10m.

Deciding to move on from the Japan international midway through the campaign was a gamble by the Scottish giants, given the quality that he had provided over the years in Glasgow.

Kyogo joined the club from Vissel Kobe on a permanent transfer in the summer of 2021 under the management of Ange Postecoglou, and hit the ground running with 20 goals in all competitions in the 2021/22 campaign.

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As you can see in the table above, the Japanese centre-forward was a consistent goal threat for the Scottish giants throughout his time in Glasgow, scoring at least 12 goals in all four of his seasons at Parkhead.

His best year in a Hoops jersey was, as is obvious by looking at the table, the 2022/23 campaign as he plundered a staggering 34 goals in all competitions for Celtic.

His form in front of goal over those seasons eventually allowed the club to rake in £10m for his services in the January transfer window, but he is not the most expensive striker sold by the Hoops in the past decade.

How much Celtic paid for Odsonne Edouard

In the summer of 2018, Celtic decided to splash the cash on a new centre-forward to bring Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain to Paradise in a club-record £9m transfer.

The French marksman had spent the 2017/18 season on loan in Glasgow, scoring 11 goals in 28 matches, and that convinced the board to sign the attacker on a permanent deal in a record transfer ahead of the following campaign.

Edouard followed that up with a return of 22 goals and eight assists in 52 matches in all competitions during the 2018/19 season, including 15 goals in the Premiership – as shown in the highlights above.

The former PSG starlet went on to be a reliable threat at the top end of the pitch for the Scottish giants for several years, racking up 87 goals and 37 assists in 179 outings for the club in all competitions.

These statistics show that Celtic hit the jackpot by splashing out a club-record fee to sign him on a permanent deal because he went on to become a prolific scorer for the Hoops in his three seasons in Glasgow as a permanent player.

The Hoops then went on to strike gold on the centre-forward by making a significant profit on the attacker when they sold him to Premier League side Crystal Palace ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

How Celtic hit the jackpot with Odsonne Edouard

The English side swooped for his services in the summer of 2021, as they looked to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, and they agreed a reported deal worth up to £18.5m.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Eagles chairman Steve Parish described Edouard as a striker with “proven quality”, based on his time with Celtic, and that is why Palace were willing to commit a huge sum of money to sign him.

The French centre-forward’s value, therefore, soared by a whopping £9.5m during his spell with the Hoops, from the £9m that they initially paid for him, and that shows that they hit the jackpot with him.

Edouard was also sold for £8.5m more than Kyogo was in January, despite his impressive goal return for the Bhoys, which speaks to how well the club did to rake in that fee from Palace.

Celtic also hit gold with the sale of the Frenchman because he has only scored 21 goals in all competitions in his four years in England to date, with all 21 of those coming for Palace and none in his current loan spell with Leicester City.

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As you can see in the table above, his market value has plummeted from £18.5m to £8.5m in the last four years as a result of his lack of goals for Palace and Leicester since his move away from Parkhead.

This suggests that the Scottish giants played a blinder by cashing in on him in the summer of 2021 because he has regressed since leaving Glasgow and is now worth even less than the initial £9m that the Hoops paid to sign him from PSG.

Celtic chasing deal for star who could become even better than Jota

Celtic are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the impressive young forward.

ByDan Emery Apr 16, 2025

They also look thin in the spin department, but in Jasprit Bumrah and a power-packed Indian batting core they have a lot going for them

Hemant Brar20-Mar-2024Where Mumbai Indians finished last seasonWith eight wins from 14 games, they finished fourth in the league stage. In the Eliminator, they beat Lucknow Super Giants but lost to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.MI squad for IPL 2024Hardik Pandya (capt), Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David*, Dewald Brevis*, Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod (wk), Romario Shepherd*, Mohammad Nabi*, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah, Luke Wood*, Gerald Coetzee*, Kwena Maphaka*, Nuwan Thushara*, Akash Madhwal, Arjun Tendulkar, Shivalik Sharma*Overseas playersPlayer availability – Suryakumar a doubtful starterSuryakumar Yadav might not be fit in time for Mumbai’s first game. He had surgeries for an ankle issue and sports hernia in the last three months and is currently undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.Related

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Jason Behrendorff has been ruled out of the tournament after breaking his leg in the nets. England left-arm seamer Luke Wood has replaced him. Dilshan Madushanka also had to be replaced by 17-year-old South African fast bowler Kwena Maphaka. Gerald Coetzee has joined the squad, but he is still recovering from a groin injury and is unlikely to be available for the first few games.What’s new with MI this year?The captain. Hardik Pandya is back at Mumbai, and as captain, having taken over the role from Rohit Sharma. This is the first time that a current India T20I captain will play under someone else at the IPL. It will also be interesting to see how Rohit fares without the extra responsibility.There are six new overseas players: Coetzee, Maphaka, Wood, Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd and Mohammad Nabi. Thushara, who bowls with a slingy action like Lasith Malinga, recently picked up a five-for, including a hat-trick, in a T20I against Bangladesh. Among uncapped Indians, Shreyas Gopal has been added as a back-up for Piyush Chawla.The good – Batting and Bumrah A strong Indian core. Once Suryakumar is available, Mumbai can have an all-Indian top five: Rohit, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar, Hardik and Tilak Varma. With Tim David at No. 6, it is a batting unit that can consistently post, or chase down, totals in excess of 200, as they showed last season. Kishan and Tilak also help with the left-right combination.Hardik said at the pre-season press conference that he is fit to bowl, which lends the side great balance. In Shepherd and Nabi, Mumbai have two more quality allrounders but, as Mark Boucher hinted at, they may field only three overseas players at times.In Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai have a fast bowler who can bowl across phases. After standout performances in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the recent Test series against England, he is expected to lead the way once again.Jasprit Bumrah: a world-class bowler that can plug many holes•BCCIThe not-so-good – Injuries and spin stocksMumbai will be hoping Suryakumar does not miss too many games, while Kishan has not played top-flight cricket since November. The biggest blow perhaps is Behrendorff’s absence as he was supposed to be the powerplay specialist. Coetzee’s unavailability early on further robs them of flexibility.Mumbai are thin on spin resources as well. Chawla was a point of difference for them last season; his 22 wickets from 16 games were the fourth-highest in the tournament. But his returns in the latest Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy were not as good: four wickets from seven games at an economy of 8.40. At 35, can he lead Mumbai’s spin attack once again?Kumar Kartikeya has age and form on his side but has not been effective in the IPL. Last season, he picked up five wickets from eight games at an economy of 8.73. Shreyas has played just four matches in the last three IPL seasons.Schedule insightsIn the schedule released so far (March 22-April 7), Mumbai are to play four games. The first two away, against Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the next two at home, against Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals. After the third match, they have a break of five days.The big question

Tamim’s team finally picked up their first win on the tour, but they are still very much a work in progress

Mohammad Isam11-Jul-2022Despite the series not being part of the ICC ODI Super League, it was important for Bangladesh to win a game on this tour, to lift their confidence. Though the visitors went down to the West Indies 2-0 in both Tests and T20Is, West Indies knew they wouldn’t have it easy in the 50 overs.The six-wicket win on Sunday was also Bangladesh’s first victory in international cricket since their ODI series in South Africa in March. Sri Lanka trounced them at home before the tour of the West Indies. The hosts’ pace blew them away in the Test series. Their T20I outfit continued to struggle as they lost the series 2-0 last week. For the majority of the month, Bangladesh looked clueless, bereft of ideas and characters to step up.Related

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Furthermore, the visitors couldn’t train ahead of the ODI series due to the heavy rain in Guyana. It put all the onus on Tamim Iqbal. who said he hadn’t batted in the nets for the last ten days – to bring Bangladesh back to winning ways in the ODIs. Mind you, they are also without both their established stars Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim for the first time since both made their debut, 16 years ago. But Tamim has proved once again that he thrives in difficult situations.Opting to field first, Tamim was keen to attack West Indies, with the match being played for 41 overs a side due to wet outfield. Tamim also placed close-in fielders to ensure West Indies didn’t take singles easily. He also stationed a slip fielder in almost every over.The intent was spot on from the bowlers as well. Left-arm medium-pacer Shoriful Islam provided him with two double-wicket overs. Mustafizur Rahman blew away Shai Hope off his first ball. Taskin Ahmed was impressive with his change in pace. Offspinning allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three crucial wickets. Nasum Ahmed did not look like he was making his ODI debut. A complete bowling performance means Bangladesh restricted West Indies to a paltry 149 for 9. The visitors then chased down the target with six wickets in hand.But, there was a concern with Bangladesh’s catching and batting. They – predictably – dropped four catches, all after they had reduced West Indies to 96 for 7. The batting wasn’t convincing either, but they got the job done. That’s been Bangladesh’s story in ODIs for the last few years. Since 2015, they have won 56 of the 101 ODIs , unlike the other two formats where they have not had much success.Bangladesh have improved a lot under Tamim Iqbal in ODIs•Getty ImagesThe team is still a work-in-progress. After Mashrafe Mortaza resigned as captain a couple of years ago, Bangladesh needed a steady hand to ensure Bangladesh didn’t go off the boil, and Tamim did exactly that. Like Mortaza, Tamim is also good at man-managing.What works in Tamim’s favour is that he is a popular senior figure among the players, and he has been the unofficial cultural and social leader on tours. Young players look up to him.However, looking at the big picture, Tamim also has to back the fast bowlers as they have shown the ability to improve in the last couple of years. Giving an extended run for young batters and backing them will also be key for Bangladesh to improve under Tamim.The 2023 ODI World Cup is still more than a month away, and for Bangladesh, there’s still a lot of work to be done – especially in batting and fielding. Shoriful, Mustafizur, Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain dropped skiers on Sunday, which continued the theme of poor catching that has now extended for 15 months. Batting too remains not so convincing. Even Tamim can’t explain after getting run out for 33. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mahmudullah both made some runs but looked laboured.Having beaten odds and tough opponents in the ODI format in the recent past, only time will tell if Tamim’s team can put up a strong show at the World Cup.

Birmingham City have now reportedly sent scouts to watch an impressive teenage talent as they look to battle Crystal Palace for his signature.

Birmingham looking to bounce back after "disappointing" Saints defeat

It’s been a solid return for Birmingham in the Championship so far this season. The Blues sit eighth, despite falling to a frustrating 3-1 defeat against Southampton, and could move into the play-off places with victory over Queens Park Rangers this weekend.

Manager Chris Davies will be desperate for a better performance than in midweek, having told reporters at full-time: “It’s a disappointing result for us. We lost the game in that first 20 minutes, we weren’t strong enough, we weren’t quick enough onto the ball, and paid the price with two soft goals from our point of view.

“They weren’t hard goals to score from their point of view and that gave us a real mountain to climb at a difficult away venue. After that I thought there was a lot of good, a lot of territory, we had our own chances and we managed to get back into it at 2-1.

“If we keep it there then it’s all on to finish the game and get something out of it but to concede the third goal on the break away puts us in another difficult position.

“From our point of view it was about having urgency and aggression to start the game, but unfortunately we didn’t have that. We had a few moments defensively where we weren’t strong enough, they got shots off far too easily. We have to learn from this one very quickly and move on.”

Davies’ disappointment highlights just how high the expectations are at St. Andrew’s and those expectations could be backed up by Birmingham’s ambition to sign talented teen Adam Brennan in 2026.

Birmingham sends scouts to watch Brennan

According to Football Insider, Birmingham are now battling Crystal Palace to sign Brennan from Republic of Ireland side UCD. The Blues’ scouts were spotted watching the 18-year-old in action and they could now make their move when 2026 arrives.

It’s not just Palace and Birmingham interested, however. Both Hull City and Wrexham are also interested in the teenager, who could yet be lured in by the red carpet in Wales.

There’s a big decision to make for the attacking midfielder and Birmingham should be hoping that their Premier League ambitions at least put them ahead of their Championship rivals.

Whilst Brennan is one for the future, beating Crystal Palace to his signature would certainly send an impressive statement from St. Andrew’s.

Less than an hour after the Rafael Devers trade news broke, a new video showed the former Red Sox star returning to Fenway Park to collect his things.

Devers was reportedly set to join the team on their flight to Seattle to face the Mariners on Monday night, but following his shocking trade to the San Francisco Giants, he was taken off the charter plane and returned to Fenway in a cab, according to Duke Castiglione of WCVB-TV Boston.

Cameras rolled as Devers exited his cab and quickly walked into a parking garage to retrieve his car. He was then seen driving out of Fenway—his windows were, naturally, tinted.

Until Devers himself comments on the trade, which should happen in due time, the short clip revealed to fans Devers's most immediate reaction following his big move. That is to say, he didn't show much emotion on his face and didn't seem particularly happy or sad, nor was he interrogated about his feelings, TMZ-style. He simply came back to get his car.

Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo confirmed that clubhouse attendants at Fenway helped load up Devers's car before sending him on his way.

Devers, 28, agreed to a 10-year, $313.5 million deal with Boston in January 2023. His new team, the Giants, will reportedly pay the rest of his remaining contract.

While India are the most recent winners of the tournament in 2023, it was played in ODI format

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Sep-20252:05

Jaffer: Hasaranga’s return big boost for SL

As far as Sri Lanka are concerned, they are defending champions at this year’s Asia Cup. The case they are making is that the ODI version of the Asia Cup – which India last won in 2023 – is a different tournament entirely.The tournament alternates between the two white-ball formats based on which World Cup is around the corner. In 2023, it was the 50-over World Cup. In 2025, it is the T20 World Cup. And as far as the T20I version of the Asia Cup goes, Sri Lanka are the most-recent victors, having taken the title in 2022.”Mentally, the fact that we are defending champions is a really good thing,” Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said ahead of his team’s first Asia Cup game, against Bangladesh on Saturday. “It was a lot of these players that played in that last tournament here [in UAE] as well. We know that because we are champions we can go far. The players are using that as motivation.”Related

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Hasaranga fit for Sri Lanka's Asia Cup campaign

At home, both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh tend to play on slower tracks not especially suited to batting. But Asalanka expected the Abu Dhabi surface to be different.”When you’re rating these conditions with other venues in the UAE, I think Abu Dhabi is the best pitch for batters. Once the ball gets softer it’s much easier to bat here, and the outfield is very nice. Every batsman wants to play in Abu Dhabi.”Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are very familiar with each other, having played three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests since the start of the year. Sri Lanka won the ODI and the Test series but Bangladesh took the T20I series.

Hasaranga missed out as he’s recovering from a hamstring injury, but SL picked plenty of other spin-bowling options

Madushka Balasuriya21-Aug-2025Uncapped batter Pavan Rathnayake is in line to make his debut for Sri Lanka after being named in their 16-member squad for the limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe.Sri Lanka also recalled Nuwanidu Fernando, who has been knocking on the national team’s door for a while. The 25-year-old made his ODI debut in January 2023, but has played only five ODIs and a solitary T20I so far.Nuwanidu’s recent performances, though, have made him hard to ignore. He struck 122 runs, including a match-winning 82, across two List A games against Australia A in Darwin last month, to go with a first-class century on the same tour. In the recent SLC T20 League, a three-team invitational tournament designed to help selectors finalise squads ahead of the Asia Cup and this Zimbabwe tour, Nuwanidu hit two half-centuries in four innings.Meanwhile, Pavan, who will turn 23 in three days, is another batter who has made waves domestically. He, too, struck a hundred in the second first-class fixture against Australia A, and continued that form back home. Playing for Colombo Cricket Club in the Major Clubs Limited Overs Tournament, Rathnayake scored 63 in the semi-final, and a career-best 158* in the final.Both Pavan and Nuwanidu are also comfortable clearing the boundary, and could inject some power into Sri Lanka’s middle order. With the ODI World Cup still two years away, both will be looking to stake a permanent claim in the side. Sadeera Samarawickrama was also brought back into the fold having last played ODIs in November 2024 and T20Is in June 2024.Sri Lanka’s tour of Zimbabwe begins with two ODIs on August 29 and 31, before the three-match T20I series starts on September 3. All matches will be played in Harare. Those who missed out on getting selected were Avishka Fernando, Eshan Malinga and the injured Wanindu Hasaranga.Hasaranga is still recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered during Sri Lanka’s last series, which was against Bangladesh last month. Jeffrey Vandersay and Maheesh Theekshana provide the frontline spin-bowling options in his absence. Allrounders Dunith Wellalage, Kamindu Mendis and Charith Asalanka round off the spin contingent.The seam-bowling group includes Asitha Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka and allrounder Milan Rathnayake.Sri Lanka’s ODI squadCharith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Nuwanidu Fernando, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Pavan Rathnayake, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera

Nathan McSweeney gave the national selectors a reminder of his worth with a determined 94 not out to lead Australia A to a strong position in their four-day game against Sri Lanka A in Darwin.McSweeney and Liam Scott took Australia A to 241 for 4 at stumps on day two after the visitors made 272 when asked to bat first at Marrara Oval.The pair had added 114 for the fifth wicket, putting their side in a prime position to push for victory in the first of two four-day games between the two sides in Darwin.McSweeney was called up to the Test side for last summer’s home series against India, but was dropped after averaging 14.4 through the first three matches.He then went on Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka but wasn’t used, and was not chosen in the country’s squads for last month’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s and the current tour of the West Indies.But after making 85 not out, 5 and 9 in Australia A’s 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka A in the Darwin one-day series that finished last week, McSweeney was back in strong form on Monday in drawing within six runs of a century by stumps.The South Australia captain had turned in a composed knock against the Sri Lanka A attack, with six fours coming in his 219-ball stay at the crease.His SA team-mate Scott was in fine touch as well, the pace-bowling allrounder reaching 52 off 117 balls with four boundaries.The pair steadied the ship after Australia A lost their third and fourth wickets with the score on 127, with Kurtis Patterson lbw and captain Jason Sangha caught out for a three-ball duck.Both wickets were taken by 24-year-old left-arm spinner Sonal Dinusha, who followed his strong work with the bat in making an unbeaten 105 on Sunday.Earlier, Tasmania’s Jake Weatherald struck a fine 98-ball 54 with six fours and a six, while fellow opener Campbell Kellaway of Victoria made 13.