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Appointment made in lead-up to Test and T20I series against Ireland in November and December

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2025

Mohammad Ashraful played 177 ODIs, 61 Tests and 23 T20Is for Bangladesh•Getty Images

Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful has been named as batting coach for the team’s upcoming series against Ireland.Ashraful was part of one of Bangladesh’s greatest moments in history. He was only 20 years old when he led the team to a stunning upset of Australia in 2005. That century was part of a career which spanned 177 ODIs and yielded 3468 runs, the fifth highest for his country. Ashraful also played 61 Tests – becoming the youngest player to score a hundred – and 23 T20Is and was active in domestic cricket as recently as two years ago.Mohammad Salahuddin resigned as assistant coach on Wednesday and will depart at the end of the Ireland series next month. He was brought in to support head coach Phil Simmons in November 2024. Salahuddin was in charge of the batting unit having spent nearly three decades coaching at various levels in Bangladesh and developing strong relations with the current group of players.Related

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A difficult 2025, where the team suffered T20I series defeats to UAE, Pakistan and most recently West Indies, ODI series defeats to Afghanistan and Sri Lanka and Test match losses to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe added pressure on the team and its management. Salahuddin had pushed back against it during a press conference in July when he said “after coaching for 27-28 years, I am hearing that there are lots of complaints in the team against me. I really would like to know about those complaints. Best if it was given to me in writing.”Ashraful’s own career was not without its ups and downs. In 2013, he received a lengthy ban from all BCB related cricket activities for match-fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League. He was eventually brought back to the fold three years later and lately has branched out into coaching. Last month, Ashraful had voiced displeasure at the trend of Bangladesh top-order batters not providing enough for the team. Now he has been given the chance to do something about it.

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate says Sanju Samson is still adjusting to his role in the middle order

Shashank Kishore23-Sep-20253:50

Aaron wants India to save Bumrah for final overs

Jasprit Bumrah has taken only three wickets – with an economy rate of 8.36 – in three games in the 2025 Asia Cup, but the India team management is satisfied with his performances, considering the “exceptionally tough job” he’s been given in the UAE.Bumrah has bowled three overs in the powerplay – and his fourth at the death – in every game so far. Before India’s tournament opener against UAE, the previous time he bowled three out of the first six overs of a T20I was in 2019.”He’s doing a very tough task,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on the eve of the Super Four game against Bangladesh. “You don’t see many bowlers in this format bowling all three overs in the powerplay. So it’s quite strenuous as well. But we feel it’s the right amount of work going into the Test match [against West Indies] and obviously the importance of this competition as well.”Related

India go in as strong favourites against upbeat Bangladesh

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After taking 1 for 19 against UAE and 2 for 28 in the group game against Pakistan, Bumrah went wicketless and conceded 45 in the Super Four game against Pakistan. “It wasn’t his most polished performance against Pakistan the other night,” ten Doeschate said. “But we also understand that he’s doing an exceptionally tough job to bowl the first three overs, the two [fielders] out, and the last over and the second last over where guys are going as well.”There’s going to be days where he doesn’t get wickets and he’s going to go for runs. But in terms of how we set up the team, obviously with two seamers and going spin-heavy, we feel at the moment that’s the best job.”Bumrah has bowled 11 overs in the Asia Cup so far – he was rested for India’s final group game against Oman – and is likely to bowl another 12 if India get to the final. Ten Doeschate indicated he was unlikely to be rested for another game in this tournament.”It’s very unlikely that you [India] go into the last game knowing you’ve qualified,” ten Doeschate said. “So I’d say it’s unlikely that he’ll get a rest. Also bearing in mind we have a Test match starting [next] Thursday. So it’s actually quite good preparation in terms of workload management … So if we have the luxury to have that option [of resting Bumrah] in the last game, we can look at it. But I’d say we’re going to pick our best team for every game. He obviously fits into that picture.”Sanju Samson is getting used to life at No.5•Associated Press

‘Samson still figuring out how to play at No. 5’The other player with an unfamiliar role at the Asia Cup is Sanju Samson, who’s batting in the middle order despite having had most of his success for India – and in the IPL – in the top three.Samson didn’t get to bat in India’s first two matches. He was sent in at No. 3 in the dead rubber against Oman in Abu Dhabi, where he top-scored with 56 off 45 balls on a pitch that most Indian batters struggled to get going. He was back down at No. 5 in the Super Four game against Pakistan, and made 13 off 17 before he was bowled attempting to pull Haris Rauf.”There’s two outings now, two decent chances and he’s still figuring out how to play that role,” ten Doeschate said of Samson in the middle order. “I think the wicket was a little bit tired in the Pakistan game. But certainly with the way Shubman [Gill] and Abhi [Abhishek Sharma] are going at the top and you’ve got your captain batting at three and the way Tilak’s [Verma] played, we’re really looking for a No. 5. So we believe Sanju is the best man for that job and we’ve got no doubt that he’ll figure out how to play that role in the future.”Ten Doeschate said the format of the Asia Cup with little room for error also meant there was little room for giving chances to the bench strength – Jitesh Sharma and Rinku Singh haven’t played a game yet. “The boys are doing excellent work with training and you probably have to look at bilateral series more realistically as a chance to get guys in to show what they can do and also to give guys a chance to show how flexible they are with their positions.”But certainly now with the format of this competition, four games, two wins doesn’t even guarantee you going through. So it’s not like you can take your foot off the pedal at any time and that’s been an unfortunate consequence of what we’re trying to achieve by trying guys in different positions.”India go into Wednesday’s game against Bangladesh as favourites. Both teams won their first Super Four game, and whoever picks up two points will be primed to make the final. “Our general principle is – respect everyone, fear no one,” ten Doeschate said. “It’s more about our process and what we’re trying to achieve. We actually thought we were a bit scrappy against Pakistan. We weren’t happy with that performance. We just had a team meeting now and as we always do, we try to address the things we feel we can be better at and more clinical at.”We respect Bangladesh. I think they’re a side on the rise. They’ve kind of adapted their cricket as well to the new style of T20. Some nice attacking players up front and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos foi derrotado, por 3 a 0, pelo Fluminense, em plena Vila Belmiro. Diante de um resultado que complicou a equipe na tabela, o técnico Marcelo Fernandes eximiu a culpa dos jogadores, parabenizou eles pela entrega e assumiu a responsabilidade pelo placar.

➡️Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp! Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos

– Não tem culpado, o culpado sou eu que escalei e eu que troquei. Os atletas estão todos de parabéns, eles correram muito e os números mostram isso. No primeiro tempo corremos errado, simples assim. Ficamos na roda quando tínhamos que avançar. No segundo tempo corrigimos e conseguimos mais oportunidades – opinou o treinador.

➡️Veja a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

Apesar de admitir problemas na primeira etapa, o comandante alvinegro poupou críticas aos atletas do Peixe.

– A gente não vai arrumar bode expiatório. O Fluminense foi melhor, conseguiu a vantagem. Para mim, o Santos fez um grande jogo no segundo tempo, correu muito. Está oscilando um pouco, mas ajudou muito. Não vamos entrar nessa de quem está bem e quem está mal. Estão todos tentando ajudar o Santos. Não adianta falar de A, B ou C – concluiu Marcelo Fernandes.

Agora, o Santos tenta a reabilitação na tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro diante do Athletico-PR, no próximo domingo (3), às 18h30.

Surrey 159 for 5 (Franklin 48*, Chathli 44*, Gray 2-18) tied with Essex 93 for 5 (Winfield-Hill 49, Chatterji 2-12, Harris 2-22) DLS methodPhoebe Franklin and Kira Chathli shared an explosive unbroken partnership of 72 from 35 balls as Surrey and Essex fought out a dramatic rain-affected tie in the Vitality Blast.The home side slumped to 45 for 4 at the Kia Oval, with former Surrey seamer Eva Gray taking 2 for 18 before Franklin, with an unbeaten 48 from 23 and Chathli (44 not out from 38) reinvigorated their innings.That late recovery, with the last four overs yielding almost 60, enabled Surrey to post 159 for 5, but rain during the interval left Essex to chase an amended target of 94 from 10 overs instead.Lauren Winfield-Hill’s pugnacious 49 from 27 kept the visitors firmly in the hunt but, with two needed off the final ball, Jo Gardner was run out coming back for the second and the spoils were shared.Depleted by England call-ups, the home side drafted in Hampshire youngster Rachel King on loan for her debut as Bryony Smith’s opening partner and the pair added 25 from four overs after being put in.But both openers departed in similar fashion, snicking behind as they misjudged the pace of the ball and Surrey were floundering after Gardner’s throw from extra cover ran out Alice Monaghan and Grace Harris was caught in the deep for a second-ball duck.Chathli and Alice Davidson-Richards, with 21 from as many balls, rebuilt the innings with a stand of 42 from 40 and, although Gray tempted the latter to hole out to deep midwicket, Surrey maintained their impetus.With Essex beginning to lose their way during the death overs, Chathli shrewdly picked out gaps in the field while Franklin’s powerful hitting propelled the home side above the 150 mark.Successive sixes off Sophia Smale in the final over enabled Franklin to outscore her partner and finish with a flourish, but the downpour between innings ensured a drastically revised equation.Essex’s hopes were dented when Priyanaz Chatterji had Lissy MacLeod caught at backward point with her first delivery, but Winfield-Hill went on the offensive immediately, plundering a trio of consecutive fours off Kalea Moore.The opener found the rope with regularity, dominating her second-wicket partnership of 54 from 33 with Maddie Penna, only to miss out on a second half-century of the tournament as she skied Chatterji (2 for 12) to long off.Penna (22 from 19) and Cordelia Griffith took up the baton following Winfield-Hill’s departure, but both fell to Harris (two for 22) in the final over before Franklin’s accurate throw to the keeper left Gardner short and denied Essex victory.

Manchester United are looking for consistency on the pitch and Ruben Amorim is at the centre of plenty of debate as INEOS aim to build for the future at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim firm on his future as United cruise past Sunderland

The Red Devils are hoping to climb their way up the Premier League table despite suffering an inconsistent start to the campaign, moving into the top half courtesy of a smooth day despite the blustery conditions against Sunderland.

Benjamin Sesko scored his second goal of the season and first at Old Trafford after a fine finish, after Mason Mount had given the hosts the lead on a windy Saturday afternoon.

As expected, the former Sporting boss is adamant that he is the man to take the club forward and won’t leave of his own accord, claiming that he will give ‘everything’ to succeed under the pressure of the job.

He stated before his side took on Sunderland: “No, that is a decision of the board. I cannot do that (resign). Sometimes I have that feeling and losing is hard, not to create the momentum. It’s so frustrating when you create the momentum, go to the next game, something happens. That feeling sometimes hurts me a lot. Also the players and especially the staff here.”

Later, he added: “It’s a dream to be here and I want to continue here and I want to fight for this. But the problem is now what makes me suffer is to lose games, not to lose my job. You fear to lose your job when you have to pay the bills and I don’t have that feeling.”

On the pitch, calls for Kobbie Mainoo to be a regular Manchester United starter moving forward are amplifying, and it remains to be seen if other changes are made to build momentum once the international break concludes.

Nevertheless, contingency planning is an important part of football, and the Red Devils could turn to an internal face who is a renowned name at Old Trafford.

Darren Fletcher could take over at Man Utd

According to The Sun, Manchester United Under-18 coach Darren Fletcher could succeed Amorim on an interim basis after his impressive start to life with the academy outfit.

Making a positive impact with his dynamic style of play, the former Scotland international has internally wowed Old Trafford chiefs and could make a surprise return to the Old Trafford scene, this time in the dugout.

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Of course, that will only happen if Amorim were to move on. It would cost the Red Devils £12 million to make a change, which isn’t the type of capital they would throw around lightly as they aim to bring in reinforcements once the New Year comes around.

Either way, there appears to be a plan in place if option A is scrapped, albeit it remains to be seen how the situation plays out at Manchester United.

Celtic supporters may not have been very pleased with how the summer transfer window ended, but there was plenty of promising work done by the club up to when they signed Kelechi Iheanacho.

Some fans decided to boycott the opening 12 minutes of the 2-1 win over Kilmarnock last weekend. Podcaster John Dykes claimed that it was partly down to the lack of quality recruitment work and the club’s failure to qualify for the league phase of the Champions League.

Despite the concerns of the fanbase, Celtic were still able to muster up three points in their Scottish Premiership clash, thanks to a 96th-minute penalty from one of their new signings, Iheanacho.

The Nigeria international, who joined on a free transfer the day after the summer window officially slammed shut, was the 11th first-team signing made after the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Brendan Rodgers and the recruitment team will be hoping that supporters will look at the window a little more favourably by the end of the season, if the players brought in kick on and deliver high-quality performances.

The concern, though, will be if they fail to really kick on and prove their worth on a consistent basis, as has been the case for winger Hyun-jun Yang.

Why Hyun-jun Yang is in an awkward position at Celtic

The South Korea international was signed from Gangwon FC for a fee of £2m in the summer of 2023 to bolster Rodgers’ options on both flanks in his first season back in Scotland.

Unfortunately, Yang has been unable to establish himself as a regular starter for the Scottish giants on the wing. He currently finds himself in an awkward position where he does not seem to be fully trusted by the manager.

In fact, the forward was reportedly close to a move to English Championship side Birmingham City on deadline day, only for the Blues to pull out of a deal because they were unwilling to wait for Celtic to finalise their own move for Sebastian Tounekti.

The Hoops, of course, signed Tounekti from Hammarby late on deadline day, but the timing of that move meant that they brought the Tunisia international in and Yang had to remain at Parkhead.

This has left the 23-year-old winger in a position where he knows that the club and Rodgers were willing to let him move on in the summer, yet he now has to stay until at least January.

Appearances

3

Starts

2

Unused substitute

2

Goals

0

Key passes per game

0.3

Big chances created

1

Assists

0

Dribbles completed per game

0.3

As you can see in the table above, Yang has already been an unused substitute in two of the opening five Premiership matches, failing to provide a goal or an assist in the three games he has featured in.

Ultimately, the South Korean attacker has never shown real consistency in his end product in the final third, with seven goals and nine assists in 71 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Yang has shown signs of improvement during his time at the club, progressing from one league goal in the 2023/24 campaign to five league goals last season. However, it has not been enough for him to establish himself as a star in Glasgow.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It is incredibly early on in his Parkhead career, but summer signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha needs to ensure that he does not end up becoming the next Yang for Celtic on the wing.

Why Balikwisha could be the next Yang for Celtic

The Hoops swooped to sign the Belgian forward from Royal Antwerp for a fee of £5m during the summer transfer window to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Balikwisha, like Yang, is a versatile winger who can play on the left or the right flank. He also showed some promise in the final third with his performances for his former club.

The 24-year-old flanker scored four goals and created seven ‘big chances’ in 12 starts in the Pro League for Royal Antwerp in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he offered quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals in Belgium.

This is why Balikwisha, as Yang was when he arrived from Gangwon, is an exciting addition to the squad. However, he has yet to show any real drive at the top end of the pitch after two flat performances in the Premiership.

The right-footed winger has been thrown in at the deep end with starts against Rangers and Kilmarnock, playing on the left wing in the former and on the right in the latter, but failed to impress in either outing.

Minutes

65

58

Shots

0

0

Key passes

0

1

Big chances created

0

0

Dribbles completed

0/0

0/1

Crosses completed

0/1

1/2

As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha did not register a single shot on goal and only attempted one dribble, which he failed to complete, in over two hours of football in his first two appearances for the Scottish giants.

Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday has been unimpressed with the winger. The experienced Premiership player said: “I think Balikwisha has started really, really slowly. I’ve never seen a winger turn down one versus one opportunities so much.

“It was exactly what I seen against Rangers and I thought it was the exact same at Kilmarnock at the weekend. I think he’s too passive in terms of getting the ball in one v one situations, turning and passing it back.”

You could put it down to the fact that he is settling into life at Celtic and may have been nervous to really attack those two games, but fellow new signing Tounekti stepped in for his debut against Kilmarnock and delivered four chances created and five dribbles completed, per Sofascore.

As Halliday put it, Balikwisha was too passive in both games and that is a worrying sign because that has been one of Yang’s biggest problems during his time at Celtic, averaging just 0.7 completed dribbles and 0.4 shots on target per game in the Premiership last season, per Sofascore.

The South Korea international’s Parkhead career reached a point where the club were willing to let him join Birmingham, in part because he has failed to asert himself on the pitch to be a consistent performer in the final third.

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Hopefully, Balikwisha’s first two appearances for the Hoops are not a sign of things to come, because he will need to offer far more at the top end of the pitch week-in-week-out to avoid becoming the next Yang in Glasgow.

Leeds United have continued their strong return to the Premier League after beating Wolves in a 3-1 victory.

While the Whites walked away with all three points, barely any of the stats in the match went in their favour. Wolves had a greater xG of 1.78 to their 0.48 and 16 shots to Leeds’s six. Wolves managed to take the lead in the eighth minute following a defensive error that was capitalised upon by Ladislav Krejci, but it didn’t last long.

The key difference in the match was that when Leeds had an opportunity, they took it, leading to their three first-half goals. Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed in Leeds’ first goal before winning a free kick just outside the Wolves box that was converted by Anton Stach for their second.

The final goal of the match came from Noah Okafor, who scored after Jose Sa’s wayward long throw found Stach. Wolves dominated most of the second half but failed to convert any of their chances.

While the result may turn out to be a crucial three points later in the season, the game had some major downsides for Leeds, particularly in the injury department. In the 83rd minute, Jayden Bogle was forced to come off the pitch with an injury that seemed to cause some concern, but he wasn’t the only player to come away from Molineux with a potential problem.

Okafor also limps off for Leeds vs Wolves

The Athletic’s Beren Cross reported after the game that Leeds boss Daniel Farke said it was too early to fully know the extent of Bogle’s injury. The right-back took the force of a Wolves’ player’s studs and subsequently suffered from swelling. An update is expected in the coming days.

Another concern for Leeds is that Cross spotted goalscorer Okafor “slightly limping” after he was substituted in the 70th minute. The replacement of Okafor for Jack Harrison had initially looked tactical, but reports of limping have led to speculation that his removal could have been more serious.

Okafor suffered a few muscle injuries last season for AC Milan and Napoli during his loan spell. They only ended up causing him to miss nine games throughout the 24/25 season, but for a team like Leeds, who have to fight for every point in order to ensure Premier League survival, any time on the sidelines will be a big loss.

Leeds' injury backup plan

Leeds do have options if Bogle and Okafor are out for prolonged periods. During the match, Frake replaced Okafor with Harrison, who spent Leeds’s two-year stint in the Championship on loan at Everton, ensuring that he stayed playing to a Premier League standard.

The replacement for Bogle is a bit more of a risk and comes in the form of summer arrival, James Justin. Justin was once a hotly touted prospect, but two major injuries have hampered his career.

While at Leicester City, he missed out on almost a year with an ACL injury and a further 205 days with a ruptured Achilles. Overall, since 2020, Justin has missed 547 days and 100 games through injury, making it a massive risk to rely on him for a prolonged period.

Farke will be hoping that neither injury is a major one and that they’ll both be back fit soon. However, if they’re not, they do have options, but they may consider rotating a makeshift right back with Justin to keep him fit.

With seven goals conceded, one goal scored and no points on the board, it would be fair to say that West Ham United’s Premier League season has got off to just about the worst start possible.

Graham Potter’s side looked utterly hopeless on Friday night, were played through with ease and are in desperate need of some serious steel in the middle of the park, someone like Declan Rice.

While things didn’t always go his way in East London, the former Hammers captain was determination personified, and if he were still in the side, we do not doubt that the situation would be far better at present.

Fortunately, while the Englishman is plying his trade elsewhere in the capital, it now looks like West Ham are eyeing a late move for someone who could be their new Rice.

West Ham target their new Declan Rice

West Ham’s midfield situation was not great heading into the summer, and in recent weeks it has only got worse.

Transfer Focus

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

After a couple of rather uninspiring campaigns, Mexican international Edson Alvarez has left the club to join Fenerbahçe on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

The departure of the former Ajax star has left an already leggy-looking midfield in even greater need of reinforcement, specifically with younger, more energetic players.

Fortunately, the club seem to have realised the same thing, as they appear to have identified the perfect recruit, someone who could be their new Rice.

At least that is according to a recent report from Foot Mercato, which has claimed West Ham are still very interested in Soungoutou Magassa.

The report reaffirms previous claims that the Hammers made an offer of around €16m for the Frenchman, about £14m, but that Nottingham Forest have made an even better offer of €17m, about £15m, and that Atalanta are now interested as well.

It looks like the Irons are going to have something of a battle on their hands to land the AS Monaco ace, but he seems like he’d be worth it, especially as he could be their new Rice.

Why Magassa could be West Ham's new Rice

Now, while fans obviously shouldn’t expect Magassa to be on the same level as Rice to begin with, there are some apparent similarities between the two.

The first is that, like the former West Ham captain, the young Frenchman first started as an impressive centre-back, before slowly moving up the pitch and finding his best position at the base of midfield, as a six.

Therefore, if he does end up making the move to East London before the window slams shut next week, he’d be doing so to fill in where the Englishman thrived during his time at the club.

However, the similarities go deeper than just a position, as, just like the former Irons star, the tremendously “effortlessly” brilliant Monaco ace, as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, is both a monstrous presence in the midfield and a technician with the ball.

We can clearly see these two parts of his game when examining some of his outstanding underlying numbers.

Magassa’s Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Dribblers Tackled	1.88	Top 1%
Ball Recoveries	7.59	Top 1%
Tackles (Mid 3rd)	1.81	Top 2%
Dribbles Challenged	3.62	Top 2%
Tkl+Int	5.22	Top 2%
Tackles	3.48	Top 3%
Interceptions	1.74	Top 4%
Passes Blocked	1.39	Top 6%
Switches	0.77	Top 7%
Through Balls	0.42	Top 10%
Blocks	1.74	Top 10%
Successful Take-Ons	1.11	Top 12%
Tackles (Def 3rd)	1.25	Top 14%
Touches (Mid 3rd)	42.70	Top 14%
Passes into Final Third	5.78	Top 18%
Tackles Won	1.60	Top 18%
All Stats via FBref

For example, when it comes to the defensive side of the game, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for ball recoveries, the top 2% for tackles plus interceptions and the top 6% for passes blocked per 90.

When it comes to his ability with the ball, he’s ranked in the top 7% of midfielders for switches, the top 10% for through balls and the top 12% for successful take-ons, also all per 90.

Finally, despite still being so young, Mattinson has described the midfielder as being “composed when under pressure” and someone who has a “forward-thinking mindset,” which sounds an awful lot like the former Hammers star.

Ultimately, West Ham need young and dynamic midfield reinforcements this summer, and even though he’s not reached his full potential just yet, Magassa looks like he’d be the perfect addition, especially as he could be the club’s next Rice.

New Soucek: West Ham submit £17.5m offer to sign "complete" CM

West Ham United could pick up their next Tomas Soucek by landing this £17.5m star.

2

By
Kelan Sarson

Aug 25, 2025

Test spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, whose bowling action has been cleared after an investigation, says he was always confident in his technique

AAP14-Mar-2025

Matt Kuhnemann celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Matthew Kuhnemann insists he’s put interrogation of his action firmly behind him as he targets a Test tour of the West Indies mid-year.The left-arm spinner was cleared to continue bowling by the ICC in late February after being reported for a suspect action following Australia’s away triumph over Sri Lanka.Kuhnemann was temporarily suspended from bowling and had a 10-day wait for results after being put through testing by cricket’s governing body.Related

Kuhnemann cleared of suspect bowling action by ICC

The 28-year-old, who spoke to media on Friday for the first time since the incident, said he was always confident his action would be given the green light. So much so, he used the 10 days to spend some time on the Gold Coast.”It was actually great to have a bit of downtime with my family,” he said. “[The wait] wasn’t as nerve wracking as people may have thought.”When it first happened there was definitely some shock [and] I was very grateful for the support Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania provided.”[But I’ve played] over 100 professional games and had never been questioned … I was always confident that I would be fine.”I’ve had a couple of weeks to sit back and reflect on everything now and move on.”Had tests deemed Kuhnemann extended his elbow by more than 15 degrees, he would have been banned from bowling until he could prove he had remedied the situation.Kuhnemann was Australia’s highest wicket taker in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka with 16 scalps at an average of 17.18. He played through pain after breaking his right thumb in the Big Bash League in January.Kuhnemann said the ICC tests, thumb injury and battles securing a spot for previous state side Queensland had built his resilience.”It is the life of a professional sportsman these days, people might doubt you and whatnot but it’s how you take the doubt and turn it into a positive,” he said. “I’ve never been more confident in my ability as a cricketer.”Over in Sri Lanka that was probably the best time of my career, the ball was coming out beautifully.”Kuhnemann will be hoping to help last-placed Tasmania to a win when they host New South Wales in a day-night fixture in the final Sheffield Shield round starting Saturday.The next goal is a potential stint in England with Durham and a trip to the Caribbean with Australia, who play West Indies in a three-Test series beginning June.”I’ve never been to the West Indies … but it can take some spin,” Kuhnemann said. “If the opportunity comes, I’d love to go over there and play.”

Manchester United have spent well, it would seem, this summer, but INEOS and Jason Wilcox remain attentive to further opportunities ahead of the September 1st transfer deadline.

Last weekend’s loss against Arsenal instilled a sense of newfound excitement; even in defeat, United looked more coherent, composed and confident, especially in attack. But there’s more work to be done, no doubt.

While club captain Bruno Fernandes has his sights set on an illustrious revival this season, a few more signings are needed if the Red Devils want to strike a degree of balance that will drive them toward their objectives.

Man Utd closing on statement signing

With the frontline having been reshaped, Man United have turned to the lower levels of the field, with Amorim appearing to have a desire for a new midfielder.

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba has been at the top of the list, but INEOS have been informed that they will have no joy in a formal bid for the 21-year-old this summer.

Though efforts for a new presence in the engine room continue, many of a Red Devil persuasion would argue that signing a new goalkeeper is of greater importance.

Well, according to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are closing in on an agreement for personal terms with Royal Antwerp for 23-year-old goalkeeper Senne Lammens, with talks also underway between the clubs.

Discussions are advancing, with a view toward a permanent deal in the region of €20m (£17m), and Romano felt it pertinent to remark that Manchester City are not in the race as they aim for their own signing between the sticks.

Why Man Utd need Senne Lammens

Lammens left Club Brugge at the end of his contract in June 2023 and relocated to the port city of Antwerp, where he has since featured 64 times, winning the 2023/24 Super Cup.

Though the Belgian, touted as Thibaut Courtois’ successor between the sticks for the Belgium national team, has yet to fully grow into his skin as a goalkeeper, he also has the properties required to rival the best of them across the continent, already showing a skill for shot-stopping that puts him in the top bracket.

Sofascore records that Lammens prevented a staggering 15.57 goals (xG) in the Belgian Pro League match last year, with a save percentage of 77%.

That’s highly impressive when you consider that Jordan Pickford’s 6.15 goals prevented led the Premier League charts for goalkeepers last season, suggesting that the Belgian has the potential to be the best shot-stopper, by a significant margin, in England if he can translate his form over to United.

Such stable hands could go a long way for Amorim’s side, with Andre Onana out of the running following his shambolic 2024/25 campaign and Altay Bayındır making a mistake that allowed Arsenal to secure victory at Old Trafford last week.

Lammens would rewrite the script, in that way proving to be as impactful as the aforementioned Fernandes for the Manchester club.

Fernandes has been Man United’s talisman for many years now, right since he joined from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 for a figure rising to £68m.

Last year, he posted 19 goals and 19 assists apiece across all competitions, also creating more chances than any other player in the Premier League. His influence knows no bounds, and the effect he has on his teammates is profound.

1.

Bruno Fernandes

91

2.

Mohamed Salah

88

3.

Cole Palmer

86

4.

Enzo Fernandez

75

5.

Bryan Mbeumo

70

Lammens might be a young and unknown buck, but his incredible shot-stopping ability and “simply phenomenal” all-round game, as has been noted by talent scout Jacek Kulig, suggest he could be the man United have been searching for over the past several years.

Man United deserved more than defeat against Arsenal, and with a more reliable man between the sticks, they might just have achieved that, with such confidence feeding into the rest of the squad.

Whether Lammens would reach the same level as Fernandes, pound-for-pound, as it were, is absolutely uncertain. But he has the making of a first-class goalkeeper, and United could change everything by getting this one over the line and adding much to their goalkeeping department.

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1 ByEthan Lamb Aug 22, 2025