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The last few seasons have seen Arsenal go from fighting for a place in the Champions League to fighting for the Premier League title.

It’s true that Mikel Arteta’s side haven’t been able to get over the final hurdle just yet, but aside from an injury-induced mini-crisis at present, it would be hard to deny that the team have steadily improved over the last few years.

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have become some of the best centre-backs in Europe, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are sensational in the midfield, and Bukayo Saka continues to lead the attack with an ever-improving Kai Havertz down the middle.

However, while most of the team are playing better than they did two years ago, some players have struggled to kick on, such as Gabriel Martinelli, and based on recent reports, the Brazilian’s place in the team could soon be under threat from an exceptional winger on the continent.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of several clubs keen on Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The report claims that the Gunners are set to battle fellow Premier League side Liverpool for the Georgian international next year, as were he to leave Italy for England, his preference would be a move to the Emirates or Anfield, despite interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

While the winger’s desire to join the North Londoners over some of their rivals is undoubtedly a positive development, there is still the small matter of the potential transfer fee needed to get him out of Naples, which Bailey claims would stand at a whopping £100m if he were to agree to a new deal this season.

It would be an exceptionally costly transfer to get over the line, but given Kvaratskhelia’s incredible ability, it is one well worth pursuing, even if it could spell real trouble for Martinelli’s place in the starting lineup.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

How Kvaratskhelia compares to Martinelli

Now, while Kvaratskhelia has played in a few positions across his career, the vast majority of his games have come out on the left.

So, if he was to join Arsenal at some point next year, his biggest competitor for a long-term place in the starting lineup would be Martinelli, so how do the pair stack up against one another?

Well, when it comes to the most important metric of all for an attacking winger, their raw output, there is no competition, as even with his brilliant form in the 22/23 season, the Gunners’ number 11 doesn’t come close to the Georgian over the last few years.

For example, in his 102 games since the start of that campaign, the former Ituano gem has scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists, equating to a goal involvement once every 2.61 games.

Appearances

46

43

Goals

15

14

Assists

6

17

Goal Involvements per Match

0.46

0.72

Appearances

44

45

Goals

8

11

Assists

5

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

0.44

Appearances

12

10

Goals

2

4

Assists

3

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.41

0.60

In contrast, the “unstoppable” Napoli star, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 29 goals and provided 28 assists in 98 games, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 1.71 games, which is made all the more impressive considering how poorly the team performed as a whole last season.

Ultimately, Martinelli is an undeniably talented winger and has shown signs of getting back to his best in recent weeks, but Kvaratskhelia has been exemplary for a few seasons now and looks like he could become one of the best attackers in world football, so if Arsenal have the chance to sign him next year, they should take it.

Contact made: Arsenal keen on signing amazing £75m Trossard upgrade

Arsenal could take their attack to the next level with the sensational forward.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 23, 2024

In what would be a surprise move, Amanda Staveley could look to replace Ange Postecoglou with one particular manager at Tottenham Hotspur if she’s successful in her investment in the North London club.

Staveley plotting to buy Tottenham stake

After leaving Newcastle United in the summer, Staveley is reportedly keen to buy a stake in North London giants Spurs in what would see her take a minority percentage of the club. Seemingly backed by serious money, Staveley’s investment would likely be quite the positive for Spurs, who will be desperate to match their Premier League rivals on a financial basis in search of finally ending their search for silverware.

Real Madrid could now make "strong offer" to sign £35m Tottenham star

The Galacticos are very keen on him.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Oct 12, 2024

Under Daniel Levy, of course, Spurs have been incredibly limited at times. It was only during the summer that they managed to welcome a replacement for Harry Kane one year on from his departure for Bayern Munich. Splashing out a reported £65m to sign Dominic Solanke, the forward has since started to reward their investment with goals on both the European and Premier League stage.

As Staveley’s potential investment arrives, however, it may not be Postecoglou who reaps the rewards. According to The Sun, Staveley may now target Eddie Howe to replace Postecoglou in a surprise move if she successfully buys a stake in the Lilywhites and the Australian’s current struggles escalate.

So far this season, it’s been one step forward and two steps back for Postecoglou’s side, who brushed Manchester United aside only to capitulate when two goals to the good to eventually suffer a 3-2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion just one week later.

Dubbed “brilliant” by Gary Neville, meanwhile, Howe has continued to impress at Newcastle even after the Magpies failed to hand their manager significant reinforcements during the summer window. A fan of the former Bournemouth boss, Staveley’s Spurs arrival may commence quite the managerial merry-go-round.

Tottenham must trust Postecoglou

Although results remain inconsistent, Postecoglou needs Tottenham’s trust and patience if they want things to work out under the Australian. Those in North London have seen just how good things can be when Postecoglou’s side are firing on all cylinders against the likes of Manchester United. Now, it’s just about handing him the tools to turn that form consistent.

Hiring serial winners in Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho proved to be the wrong move for the Lilywhites in the past, but turning to a manager who will oversee a project that takes time in the form of Postecoglou was a step in the right direction. To now scrap that project could be taking the North London club back to square one.

Instead, Staveley’s investment should centre around completing that project and building on arrivals such as Solanke and Archie Gray. Howe would no doubt be an interesting option, but maintaining faith in a manager who is only into the second season of his tenure should be the route that Levy, and potentially Staveley, head towards.

Two of the WBBL’s leading spinners have moved teams ahead of the 2021-22 season. Molly Strano, the top wicket-taker in the tournament’s history, has left Melbourne Renegades to join Hobart Hurricanes and legspinner Alana King, who was a central figure in Melbourne Stars reaching last year’s final, has signed with Perth Scorchers.For both Strano and King the WBBL moves follow their interstate switches with the pair having joined Tasmania and Western Australia respectively.Offspinner Strano, who was part of the Australia’s T20 World Cup squad last year, is the only bowler with over hundred wickets in the WBBL (104 at 18.74).”I made my decision to come to the Tigers a while ago now, but when it came to deciding where I was going to play my WBBL cricket it was something I had to think long and hard about, and was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make,” she said.”Moving down to Tassie was a big decision for me, so I decided to embrace the move wholeheartedly, and play for both Tasmanian teams. I’m looking forward to throwing myself in the deep end and learn what I can from this new environment, and I’m really excited for this next chapter of my cricketing career.”Meanwhile, King will now be playing for the side she had a huge role in putting out of last year’s WBBL in the semi-finals where she claimed 3 for 16 in the semi-final – taking out the powerhouse top three of Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney and Amy Jones – while she also showed her power with the bat down the order striking at 187.87 during the season.”Last season we saw first-hand the influence she can have on a match, her wrist spin can change a game while her power with the bat can swing momentum at the end of an innings too,” Scorchers head coach Shelley Nitschke said.The Scorchers also confirmed that Devine, who has been player of the tournament in the last two seasons, will return to the club. It gives them a very strong-looking top order alongside Mooney and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu.

Manchester City want to sign Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt and Ederson from Atalanta as they aim to solve their nightmare 2024-25 campaign.

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City are aiming to fix nightmare seasonClub likely to be active in JanuaryMarmoush and Ederson set to be targetedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Premier League champions are likely to be active in the transfer market this month after a horror run that saw them win just one of 13 matches prior to victory at Leicester last time out. They have identified two of Europe's most highly-rated talents to help dig them out of a hole this season, according to . Omar Marmoush has lit up the Bundesliga, while Ederson could cover for the ongoing absence of Rodri.

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Egyptian Marmoush ranks joint-second alongside Harry Kane for goals and assists across Europe's top five leagues in 2024-25, registering 13 goals and eight assists. Only compatriot Mohamed Salah has more goal involvements than the pair. Ederson has been a fundamental part of Atalanta's run to the top of the Serie A during the winter break but could be tempted by a move to the Premier League.

WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

Manager Pep Guardiola accepts business will be necessary this month, saying: "In some positions we need help. When we're all together we're the team we were but with important players out for weeks and months it's so difficult."

Of the fatigue the squad have been failing, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said this week: "People were playing too many games. But they have to do it because if you don't have anyone else, you have to play. They took the burden, hopefully people come back and we get back into a rhythm as a team."

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WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

City's immediate prospects have improved with the return of players from injury, as demonstrated by the fact Guardiola was able to leave Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish Jeremy Doku and Ilkay Gundogan on the bench for that Leicester victory. But with the likes of Walker, De Bruyne and Gundogan in the late stages of their careers, it still makes sense to attempt to reduce the squad's average age. The race to finish in the European places looks set to be competitive – but with the Champions League and FA Cup still to play for, City can still save their campaign.

Last month it had emerged he was in discussions over a possible South Africa comeback with an eye on the T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2021The chances of AB de Villiers featuring in this year’s T20 World Cup have dimmed, with Cricket South Africa stating that he has decided “once and for all, that his retirement will remain final”.Related

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If de Villiers is ready and willing, he will be at the T20 WC – Boucher

de Villiers retired from all international cricket in May 2018, but has been active in franchise T20 competitions. Last month, when he was playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2021, it emerged that he was in discussions with South Africa coach Mark Boucher over a possible comeback with a view towards featuring in the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in October-November in India.On Tuesday, CSA announced in a release that discussions with de Villiers have concluded. There was little other detail on this development, with the release largely focusing on the squads that have been named for South Africa’s upcoming Test and T20I tour of the West Indies.At the time when de Villiers revealed he had been in talks with Boucher, he had sounded enthusiastic about the prospect of a South Africa comeback.”Last year, he asked me if I would be interested. And I said, ‘absolutely’. And come the end of the IPL, we will have a look at where we are at with regards to my form and my fitness,” de Villiers had said.”Also, the situation with his team – he’s got to look at his guys who have been performing well over the last while. If there’s no space for me, so be it. If I can slot in there, it will be fantastic if all those things fall in place. Waiting for [the chat with] Bouchy towards the end of the IPL, and we will then plan accordingly.”Ever since his sudden retirement announcement in 2018, talk of a comeback has constantly surrounded de Villiers. He came closest to ending his retirement on the eve of the 2019 ODI World Cup, when he made a last-minute offer of an international return, but was rebuffed by the then team management.Hopes of a de Villiers comeback had intensified after a new leadership group including director of cricket Graeme Smith and coach Mark Boucher – both former international team-mates of de Villiers – took over the national team’s reins towards the end of 2019, but those hopes now seem extinguished.de Villiers, 37, is among South Africa’s greatest-ever batters, their fourth-highest run-getter in Test cricket and their second-highest in ODIs and T20Is. He remains one of the world’s finest T20 players, and was in red-hot form during IPL 2021 before the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic brought the tournament to a premature halt, scoring 207 runs in six innings at an average of 51.75 and a strike rate of 164.28.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo conta com o retrospecto positivo de Rogério Ceni contra o Internacional para poder ter um bom resultado neste domingo (31), às 18h15, no Morumbi, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

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Apesar de ainda não ter enfrentado o Inter como treinador do São Paulo, Ceni tem bons números contra o Colorado na sua curta carreira de treinador. A única derrota foi quando ele dirigia o Cruzeiro, em 2019. Naquela ocasião, a Raposa perdeu por 3 a 0, no Beira-Rio, pela Copa do Brasil.

Depois, veio a sequência invicta. No Fortaleza, foram dois jogos, com um empate (2 a 2), pelo Campeonato Brasileiro de 2019 e uma vitória (1 a 0), no Brasileiro de 2020. O último confronto dele contra o Inter na beira do campo foi no comando do Flamengo, quando venceu o Colorado por 2 a 1, no Brasileirão de 2020.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

já como jogador do São Paulo, Rogério Ceni disputou 31 jogos contra o Inter, com 12 vitórias, nove empates e dez derrotas. Ele marcou um gol contra o Colorado, no Brasileiro de 2007, quando o Tricolor venceu por 1 a 0, com o tento de pênalti.

RETROSPECTO DE ROGÉRIO CENI COMO TREINADOR CONTRA O INTER
21/02/2021 – Flamengo2-1Internacional – Brasileirão 2020
19/09/2020 – Fortaleza1-0Internacional – Brasileirão 2020
24/11/2019 – Internacional2-2Fortaleza – Brasileirão 2019
04/09/2019 – Internacional3-0Cruzeiro – Copa do Brasil 2019

With their FFP worries now firmly behind them, Newcastle United are set to enter the transfer market this summer in pursuit of new players to bolster Eddie Howe's defensive unit.

Newcastle need defenders this summer

If the Magpies' early activity in the transfer market is anything to go off, the club are serious about solidifying their backline going into the next Premier League campaign.

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ByHenry Jackson Jul 21, 2024

The first name through the door at St James' Park was Llloyd Kelly who arrived on Tyneside in a free transfer after his contract with Bournemouth expired last month. Penning a five-year deal with the Toon, Kelly will be a versatile asset to Howe's side owing to his ability to play as either a central defender or a left back.

Newcastle have also agreed deals to bring two new goalkeepers to the club in the form of John Ruddy and Odysseas Vlachodimos. Whilst the former is unlikely to be starting many games for the Toon, the latter arrives from fellow top flight side Nottingham Forest and could provide competition to current number-one Nick Pope.

Despite already making a number of signings in this area of the pitch, the Magpies are still in the market for new defenders with AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori the name most commonly touted for a move to St James' Park. Reports late last month suggested that the Toon had been in contact with the Rossoneri about the former Chelsea man who could be available for around £40million this summer.

With Newcastle still eyeing moves for defensive stars, it now appears that the club have come back in for one of their former targets.

Newcastle return heavily for Malick Thiaw

As relayed by NUFC blog, Sky Sports Italy are claiming that Newcastle have returned heavily for AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw. Reports from earlier this month stated that the Toon had made the first move to sign the 22-year-old during the transfer window. This new development suggests that the Magpies may have upped their interest in the player and it could be down to the man now at the helm of the club's transfer activities.

The report claims that the German is well-liked by Paul Mitchell who recently left AS Monaco to become the Toon's new Sporting Director and has approved a potential deal. Although AC Milan are yet to receive an official offer from Newcastle it is stated that the Magpies' new transfer chief has given his approval to bring the player to St James' Park.

With a figure between £25million and £35million reportedly needed to tempt Thiaw away from the San Siro, Mitchell's first big task in his new role may be to negotiate a good deal for the player.

After making 30 appearances in all competitions for AC Milan last season, there is no doubt that Thiaw is a player who could be able to adjust to life in the Premier League with relative ease and play a part in Howe's side next season, making this one to watch once more.

Cristiano Ronaldo set yet another record in international football as Portugal thrashed Poland 5-1 in the UEFA Nations League.

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• Ronaldo beat Ramos to set international record
• Superstar netted a brace
• Portugal thrashed Poland 5-1

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ronaldo scored two goals as Portugal fired five past Poland to cement their place at the top of their Nations League group on Friday. Rafael Leao opened the scoring for his side before the Portugal captain converted a penalty in the 72nd minute to double his team's lead. He then converted a brilliant bicycle kick to complete his brace. Bruno Fernandes and Pedro Neto were the other scorers for the Seleccao.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the win over a sorry Poland side, Ronaldo made it 132 victories with his country and moved past former Real Madrid team-mate Sergio Ramos to become the player with the most wins in international football. The Al-Nassr star is also the most-capped player in history and has scored the most goals (135) in international football.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Manchester United skipper Fernandes looked ordinary in the first half and missed a simple chance to break the deadlock. However, he made amends for the mistake by converting a world-class strike from nearly 25 yards out.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PORTUGAL?

  With 13 points from five outings, Roberto Martinez's side have sealed their spot at the top of the group and will next face Croatia in their final group game on Monday.

Last season, Liverpool fell apart at the final stretch. A slump in form after enduring the bite of the winter months saw conquests for the FA Cup and Europa League severed by eventual winners Manchester United and Atalanta, with Premier League title aspirations torn to tatters after several inexplicable losses.

Jurgen Klopp's fairytale ending wasn't to be, even if the Carabao Cup was clinched against the odds in February. The German's decision to leave Liverpool heightened expectations, of that there is no doubt, but supporters are eager to see the squad reinforced after demonstrating exceptional qualities last season, if falling a bit short.

Perhaps it's because Liverpool fell slightly short that there is a hunger for new signings. Defensively, the Reds lacked steel at points; in midfield, a first-class No. 6 could have been the difference-maker; up front, for all the Anfield side's creativity and attacking verve, a lack of incisiveness formed the crux of the late-season stutter.

Arne Slot is working toward rebuilding the outfit as a force to be reckoned with, and while FSG's silence in the transfer market this summer has been… disappointing, the squad is replete with quality and could raise its level with fresh life at the helm.

There are certainly several players who will be expected to lift themselves up a notch, with Dominik Szoboszlai's second season on Merseyside likely to be one of the most interesting plot points of the early months.

Why Liverpool signed Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool signed Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig in July 2023 after meeting his £60m release clause. The Hungary international had been hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller for his performances in Germany, with optimal athletic performance wrapped around technical distinction and high-quality endurance levels.

He basically embodied the traits that Klopp called for in a midfielder, though with the German manager fashioning him into a deeper-lying, more industrious midfield role than he was accustomed to at Leipzig, Szoboszlai flattered to deceive toward the end of the term.

Still, Liverpool's wretched 2022/23 season demanded a midfield rebuild, and so Klopp made sweeping changes to the engine room, replacing a beleaguered lot with Alexis Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and the like.

And while he left plenty to be desired last season, the 23-year-old hardly flopped. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 17% of central midfielders in the Premier League last year for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Dominik Szoboszlai: League Stat Comparison

Statistics

22/23 (RBL)

23/24 (LFC)

Matches played

31

33

Goals

6

3

Assists

8

2

Pass completion

83%

87%

Big chances created

14

7

Shots per game

1.9

1.8

Key passes per game

2.3

1.7

Dribbles per game

1.7

0.7

Ball recoveries per game

5.6

7.3

Tackles per game

1.5

1.0

Duels won per game

4.6

2.9

Stats via Sofascore

Furthermore, the 6 foot 1 star averaged 7.3 ball recoveries per game (Sofascore), highlighting his noteworthy energy levels. That said, it's hard to argue against his regression in performance when comparing his final year in Germany to his first on Merseyside.

He has one of the meatiest strikes in the business, adding a wonderful dimension to his team. This was evidenced on several occasions, and while he won't be delighted with his tally of seven goals and four assists from 45 appearances (30 starts) throughout his debut campaign, he has rooted his talent deep in Anfield's soil and will be set on reaching the next level under Slot's tutelage.

More is required this season though. Benched for five of the final six Premier League matches under Klopp, Liverpool's record midfield signing fell by the wayside at the end, losing his initial look as a domineering new midfield talisman and fizzling out after injuries and second-half-of-season struggles got the better of him.

It's nothing to worry about too greatly. The talent is permanent and Szoboszlai's off-the-ball numbers – i.e. his ball recoveries – speak of his tenacity and resolve, but something slipped nonetheless.

With the club's new head coach often employing a 4-2-3-1 formation at Feyenoord, the talented midfielder could see his technical qualities maximised. It could almost feel like a new signing.

Dominik Szoboszlai's market value in 2024

Despite a maiden campaign in England that ebbed and flowed, Szoboszlai is still regarded as one of the most lucrative members of Slot's Liverpool squad.

According to CIES Football Observatory's player valuation model, Szoboszlai's market price stands at an unabashed £90m, which actually marks a 50% increase after just one year. Imagine what might happen when he enters the ascendancy next year.

That's a staggering figure for one so young, so soon into their professional career. To put it in perspective, CIES' valuation of the Hungarian towers is some £40m above what Manchester United are paying LOSC Lille for Leny Yoro.

Yoro, another to be considered a 'generational talent' – as relayed by The Telegraph – was courted by Liverpool this summer before FSG withdrew from consideration after resigning themselves to the 18-year-old defender's wish to join Real Madrid.

That didn't happen, and now the prodigious French starlet is heading to Old Trafford to sign a deal in excess of £50m. Sure, Szoboszlai has five years on the young gun but it's a testament to his lofty ability that he is valued so much higher.

Perhaps it's also a measure of how highly regarded the £120k-per-week star was when FSG sanctioned the £60m outlay one year ago – similar to that of the Red Devils' prospective new signing.

There's an optimistic sense that Liverpool that Szoboszlai has not tapped into his potential by half yet. Based on the evidence so far, that only means that he's headed straight for the very top of the European game.

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Posts ByDan Emery Jul 18, 2024

Shakib Al Hasan returns to preliminary Test and ODI squads after serving his one-year ban

Mohammad Isam04-Jan-2021Bangladesh’s selectors picked a 24-man preliminary squad for the ODI series against West Indies later this month, and the one player they didn’t pick has become the main talking point: Mashrafe Mortaza, the country’s highest wicket-taker in ODIs and longest-serving captain. This is the first time Mortaza has been dropped from the ODI squad since making his debut in November 2001, though he has missed a lot of cricket over the years because of injuries.One high-profile name that did make it, into both the preliminary Test and ODI squads announced on Monday, was Shakib Al Hasan, back in the national reckoning after his one-year ban for not reporting a corrupt approach. Shakib was Bangladesh’s Test and T20I captain before his ban, but now returns as an ordinary member of the side.Those selected will, from next week, take part in a training camp and play two practice matches on January 14 and 16, before the squad is trimmed closer to the ODI series that begins on January 20. This is going to be Bangladesh’s first international series since the Covid-19 pandemic stopped cricket in the country in mid-March. There have been two domestic tournaments but a number of home series and away tours have been postponed. Last month, West Indies agreed to this shortened tour.Bangladesh’s preliminary squads

ODIs: Tamim Iqbal, Taskin Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan, Al-Amin Hossain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shoriful Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, Hasan Mahmud, Mohammad Mithun, Mohammad Saifuddin, Liton Das, Mustafizur Rahman, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Afif Hossain, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Nasum Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar, Parvez Hossain Emon, Yasir Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Naim, Rubel Hossain
Tests: Momimul Haque, Taskin Ahmed, Tamim Iqbal, Khaled Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mustafizur Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam, Liton Das, Nurul Hasan, Yasir Ali, Shadman Islam, Saif Hassan, Nayeem Hasan, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain

The decision on 37-year-old Mortaza has come at a significant time as the Bangladesh team builds towards the 2023 ODI World Cup. Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said the decision on Mortaza was a collective one, taken by the selectors and the team management.”We respect him, he has done a lot for the country,” Abedin said. “I have spoken to him in detail, so there’s not going to be any misunderstanding. It was a tough decision but we have to consider the reality, and keep looking forward. We took a combined decision after long discussions with team management, and considering everything [decided to] to put off Mashrafe. We discussed everything. We didn’t leave anything out. Everyone participated in the discussion including the fitness trainer and bowling coach. For the player who replaces him, it will be a fresh start. We have to expose our young players.”Abedin also said that the decision on whether to retire or play on lay with Mortaza. “Whether he continues playing or not, is entirely up to him. We cannot really say anything about what his performance is going to be.”Speculation over Mortaza retiring has been a long-running affair, with the topic first cropping up during the 2019 World Cup. But Mortaza has been adamant about continuing to make himself available in ODIs, even though he resigned from captaincy last February following Bangladesh’s 3-0 ODI series win against Zimbabwe, their last international series before the pandemic-forced lockdown.Related

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Life in the time of Mashrafe Mortaza, by Tamim and Mahmudullah

Mortaza left 'embarrassed' by BCB plan to 'remove' him

As recently as in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup last month, Mortaza took a five-wicket haul after joining Gemcon Khulna belatedly in the tournament. But there have been growing calls from within the BCB and the team management for him to retire from international cricket. Bowling coach Ottis Gibson even said in a interview that Mortaza was no longer in head coach Russell Domingo’s plans for the ODI side.Shakib Al Hasan returned to competitive cricket at the Bangabandhu T20 Cup•Getty Images”I think if Russell is now trying to build a team for the future, then I don’t know what part Mashrafe will have to play in that. Perhaps now is his time, with all that’s going on in the world, to move on,” Gibson had said. “He can find other ways to pass on his vast knowledge and experience to the young guys. I don’t think he has to be on the field to be able to pass on what he has learned over his career. He needs to find other ways to pass on that message.”More recently, BCB president Nazmul Hassan held a similar view when asked about Mortaza’s potential selection for the West Indies series.”If his fitness is taken into consideration, he is unlikely to be selected,” Hassan told the Dhaka-based Ekattor TV last week. “But he loves taking on challenges. Whether he will play or retire, only he can decide. I haven’t had any discussions with him about it. I think he is having indecision, which is a surprise because as long as he was the captain, his decision-making was clean and clear.”Even if he is in the squad, I think it will be difficult for him to be in the playing XI. We are building towards the future, so don’t really know how long we will get his service. There’s no guarantee that if he get him in one series, whether we will get him in the next one. We also have to consider who we are going to drop to make room for Mashrafe, so these are not easy decisions.”Abedin said that the selectors had decided to take a look at a larger pool of players for the ODIs with the 2023 World Cup very much in mind. “We are focused on the 2023 World Cup. We have a lot of ODIs from this year, in all formats, which is why we made a bigger pool.”The selectors have called up Shoriful Islam and Parvez Hossain Emon in the preliminary ODI squad, following performances in last year’s Under-19 World Cup and recent domestic games. There were no such rookies in the 20-man Test group, which instead focused on tried-and-tested first-class performers.