Umar Akmal responded to the PCB’s show-cause notice in a defiant manner, urging the cricket board to form a committee of “well-reputed senior players and government officials” to establish whether Mickey Arthur was guilty of “derogatory remarks” against the player.In a letter that repeated many of the allegations he had made against the Pakistan head coach in a fiery press conference last week, Akmal promised to apologise to Arthur should the proposed committee find him guilty, but also made clear he expected the same from Arthur if the verdict was in his favour. Calling himself a national cricketer who had “produced excellent results for Pakistan”, he said that the law did not allow any person to hurt the feelings and self-respect of another individual. He concluded by expressing full faith in the PCB to resolve the matter efficiently, as it was one “of respect, dignity and pride of Pakistan and its nation”.Akmal was sent home from England after failing two fitness tests leading up to the start of the Champions Trophy – despite initially being included in the squad. Akmal had previously been dropped from a tour of the West Indies in April for similar reasons. He was excluded from that squad after he was the only player, out of 31, to fail the fitness test during a camp held at the National Cricket Academy in March.”He [Arthur] shouldn’t be swearing at me like that, it is like he’s abusing all of Pakistan,” Akmal had complained last week. “You look at any cricket match, and you’ll see he’s swearing at one player or the other. I want to reveal this to the public and to all my fans. I request the [PCB] chairman [Najam Sethi] to take this issue very seriously. When the head coach is allowed to swear at someone whenever they wish, that is unacceptable. As a Pakistani, I could not stomach it.”

USMNT star, Matt Turner, was restored to the the Nottingham Forest line-up as Steve Cooper made seven changes for crunch Wolves clash.

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Cooper desperate to turn around his fortunes Rang in the changes and brought back Turner Manager reported to be on borrowed time at City groundWHAT HAPPENED?

The 29-year-old keeper was brought from the cold at the Molineux with Cooper's job on the line. Turner had lost his place to Odysseas Vlachodimos following their 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in October but the manager was forced to fall back on his trusted lieutenant after a 5-0 thrashing to Fulham at Craven Cottage in their previous match.

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Turner started the campaign as the first-choice keeper for Forest following a summer move from Arsenal and stood between the sticks for the first 10 Premier League games, before being replaced by Vlachodimos. Cooper explained that Turner was dropped as he was "10 per cent not so good" but hailed him for his "work and his commitment" in the training sessions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Turner opted for a switch to Forest from the Gunners with the hope of getting more playing minutes. But his mistake against Liverpool that saw Mohamed Salah tapping into an empty net moved him down the pecking order.

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Forest are currently going through a lean patch of form after succumbing to four successive defeats in the Premier League. It has been reported that Evangelos Marinakis, the Forest owner, is not entirely convinced with Cooper at the helm, with his side winning just one in 11 games since September, and has lined up former Real Madrid and Wolves manager Julen Lopetetegui as a potential successor. If Forest fail to turn the tide against Wolves, Cooper could head towards the door.

Newcastle United targets Axel Disasi and Harvey Barnes are two 'important' pieces of business that Eddie Howe would like to tie up, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Are Axel Disasi and Harvey Barnes moving to Newcastle United?

According to Football Insider, Newcastle United have reached a verbal agreement with Disasi over personal terms as they continue talks with AS Monaco over a potential deal for the France international.

The report states that £40 million may be a figure that would be enough to seal the prospective transfer; however, negotiations are still believed to be in the early stages.

Last term, the 25-year-old made 49 appearances in all competitions for his current employers and carried an unusually potent goal threat for a defender, registering six goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

In other news, Newcastle United are set to wrap up the signature of Leicester City winger Barnes on a deal worth in the region of £38 million, according to The Guardian.

Interest in Barnes was high, with West Ham United, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur all being keen on the England international this window; however, the Magpies look to have done a number on their divisional rivals to ensure they get his signature over the line. Allan Saint-Maximin is set to be sold to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli to raise funds to complete the Barnes deal.

Barnes featured 40 times for Leicester City in 2022/23 and enjoyed a commendable campaign on a personal level despite the Foxes' relegation, scoring 13 times and laying on three assists across all competitions.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer expert Romano indicated that bringing Disasi and Barnes to the North East would represent two 'important' pieces of business for Newcastle United boss Howe.

Romano stated: "They are waiting to understand how much Monaco really want for Axel Disasi.This is the crucial step of this story because, on the player's side, he is open to making the move to Newcastle or Manchester United.

"He wants to try this Premier League opportunity in a very clear way, so let's see how the conversation will go with Monaco.

"But Disasi and Barnes, of course in a different position, are two important targets for Newcastle."

Who else could join Newcastle United this summer?

Corriere dello Sport via Sport Witness claim that Juventus winger Federico Chiesa would be keen on a move to Newcastle United this summer.

The Magpies have shown 'interest' in the Italy international. However, if Barnes joins the club, it would remain to be seen whether Howe would enter the market to purchase another wide player.

As per The Sun, Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen has emerged as a target for Newcastle United; however, it would cost in the region of £50 million to sign the 27-year-old, who is also on the radar of Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur.

Football Insider report that Newcastle United are set to submit a £25 million bid for Southampton right-back Tino Livramento as they try to 'get a deal done' for the former Chelsea starlet.

Chelsea are believed to have a buyback clause worth £38 million that is active this window, potentially creating a problem for the Magpies if the Blues decide to rival their pursuit of the Croydon-born defender.

Everton have made only one signing so far this summer, with Ashley Young joining the Toffees on a free transfer, and although he will bring a wealth of experience to the club, it is hardly the marquee name that the supporters expect.

More arrivals will be required in order for Sean Dyche’s men to avoid yet another Premier League relegation battle and with this in mind, they have been linked with a move for Nigerian striker Victor Boniface ahead of 2023/24.

How much will Victor Boniface cost?

According to Nigerian outlet Football Rover, the Merseyside outfit have emerged as a contender to lure him away from Belgian side Union St-Gilloise in order to bolster their attacking options.

USG value the 22-year-old at just €12m (£10m) and although Dyche will have some money to spend during the transfer window, securing young talent on the cheap will perhaps be a perfect way to approach his transfer business.

They could however, face competition from German side RB Leipzig with regard to a potential move, and with Champions League football being on offer at the Bundesliga outfit next season, Dyche may need to come up with a wonderful offer to lure him to Goodison Park.

Who is Victor Boniface?

The Toffees scored a paltry total of 34 league goals last season which was the second-worst total across the whole top flight, indicating just how poor they were in front of goal.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms netted just four times across all competitions between them and this was one of the main reasons why they lingered near the bottom of the table for so long, narrowly escaping the drop.

This clearly highlights the need more one or more new strikers at the club and Boniface should certainly be a wonderful choice.

The 22-year-old plundered 22 goals and grabbed 12 assists for USG last term, which would have made up 65% of Everton’s total league goal tally, suggesting he has the capabilities to improve this next term.

He also averaged 0.9 key passes per game and created four big chances last season for the Belgian side in the league, indicating that he could offer more than just a clinical goal threat, linking up well with others around him. As such, he could form a solid partnership with Dwight McNeil.

The Englishman recorded seven goals and three assists, emerging as their top scorer, yet his abilities on the wing could allow Boniface to flourish and score even more should he make the move to Everton.

McNeil delivered 0.5 crosses into the penalty area per 90 across the previous 365 days and with Boniface scoring five headers during 2022/23, he could reap his rewards by getting on the end of regular deliveries into the box from the Everton gem.

The 23-year-old led the way with big chances created (11) while ranking second for key passes per game (1.4) across the whole Everton squad during the 2022/23 league season.

It's these creative qualities that could also generate plenty of chances for the Nigerian starlet, who has shown a keen eye for goal during the embryonic stages of his career.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded Boniface for being “on fire” alongside compatriots such as Victor Osimhen and Terem Moffi and judging by his statistics over the previous 12 months, he could be a wonderful addition to the Everton squad.

Liverpool officially kick off their 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on the 13th of August and there could be a few new faces on show for the club.

Who have Liverpool signed this summer?

The Reds made their first addition of the summer transfer window last month as they signed Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion, in a deal that could eventually rise to £55m.

Jurgen Klopp followed that up with a swoop for RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai at the start of July. The Merseyside giants have reportedly splashed out a fee of £60m to secure the Hungary international's services.

There could also be a departure in that area of the pitch for Liverpool as it has been reported that Brazilian enforcer Fabinho is closing in on a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, whilst Bayern Munich are also interested in signing him.

It has been claimed that the Reds could be in line to receive £40m for the former AS Monaco star, which could help towards funding a possible replacement before the end of the window.

Who could replace Fabinho at Liverpool?

Klopp could forget all about Fabinho by striking a deal to sign Fulham defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha ahead of next season, following his impressive debut season in England.

The Daily Mail reported in June that it could take as much as £90m to snap up the Portugal international and it was recently claimed that Liverpool have considered the Portugal international as an option to bolster their midfield, although it remains to be seen how much they would be willing to pay for him.

Signing the former Sporting titan could improve the German head coach's squad. Palhinha averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 across 35 Premier League starts last term, compared to the £40m-rated warrior's score of 6.87, and caught the eye with 5.5 tackles and interceptions per game.

His 4.2 tackles per match for the Cottagers was 1.8 more than any Liverpool player in any position managed throughout the campaign and 2.4 more than Fabinho's 1.8 per outing.

Palhinha, who was dubbed "Casemiro-esque" by journalist Zach Lowy, also won more duels per clash (8.0) than the Brazil international (3.5) and came out on top in a higher percentage of his duels (59% to 50%).

This suggests that the 28-year-old monster would be an upgrade in terms of his ability to win battles and regain possession for his side on a regular basis.

In fact, the Fulham colossus ranks in the top 1% of his positional peers across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for tackles made per 90 (4.26) over the last 365 days – three percentiles higher than Manchester United's Casemiro – which shows that he has been one of the best ball-winning midfielders at the top level since his arrival in England.

His instant adaptation to Premier League football was impressive and his form suggests that he could come in as a significant upgrade on Fabinho, based on the monstrous enforcer's average performance level and defensive contributions each game in comparison to the current Liverpool man.

Therefore, Klopp could forget about the Brazilian midfielder and sanction the move to Al Ittihad with no concerns about the state of his squad by signing Palhinha to fill that role within the team.

Since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over at the club, Wrexham have enjoyed the Hollywood treatment, with fireworks on and off the pitch, culminating in promotion back to the Football League.

Now in League Two, manager Phil Parkinson and co will be hoping to earn back-to-back promotions next season in what would be an incredible campaign. With the summer transfer window well underway, too, they could yet welcome reinforcements to stick to the script of potential glory.

So far this summer, the Welsh club have welcomed Will Boyle from Championship outfit Huddersfield Town, representing quite the coup for the League Two side.

What's more, in an exciting new development, a change in the rules regarding players receiving visas could see Wrexham target players in America, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What did Ben Jacobs say about Wrexham?

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Jacobs said: "A rule change in terms of getting visas also allows Wrexham to now explore the US market as well.

"So I would keep an eye on that, to see whether Wrexham bring on board any American players. That might be one to watch over the coming weeks."

Of course, the club have been spending part of their pre-season in America, squaring up against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, so they would have had plenty of time to potentially take a look at the talent on show around them.

The new rule will allow them to bring in a certain number of players who do not meet the requirements for work permits. Premier League and Championship sides can sign up to four such players, whilst League One and League Two sides can sign up to two.

As of right now, it remains to be seen just who walks through the door at Wrexham this summer, but the rule change at least gives them the chance to really explore the talent in America.

How much are Wrexham worth?

Paying a reported £2m for the club back in 2021, Reynolds and McElhenney have since seen their investment go up in value. The club is now reportedly worth 300% more than the initial price that the Hollywood stars paid in 2021.

It's no wonder that the club has increased to such a level, in truth, following their National League win, with sponsorship deals such as the one with Tiktok also helping financially.

The fact is, Reynolds and McElhenney's continued presence, alongside Wrexham's success on the pitch, has quickly started to awaken a sleeping giant in English football.

Those at the club will hope to take things up another level next season, as they seek consecutive promotions. If they can get to League One, they'd be just two promotions away from the Premier League.

To go from the National League to the third tier of English football in the space of only a handful of seasons would feel like one of the quickest rises in English football history.

They've got the star power in the stands to do it. Now, it remains to be seen whether Parkinson can welcome the right personnel to get the job done on the pitch for the Welsh side on the up.

Manchester United's women's team are reportedly less than pleased that their head physiotherapist has been poached by the men's set-up.

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Man Utd take physio from women's teamGrowing irritation at WSL clubSearch for replacement ongoingWHAT HAPPENED?

Last month the United women's head physiotherapist Ibrahim Kerem made the switch to join the medical team for Erik ten Hag's side. According to the , members of the WSL outfit are growing increasingly irritated that the men's team keep poaching their staff.

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Kerem – who had been United's physio since 2021 – is the second staff member the men's team has recruited from Marc Skinner's set-up in the last 13 months. In November 2022, performance analyst Luke Wright made the same move.

DID YOU KNOW?

Since Kerem's departure, former Lionesses’ physio Alicia Tang has joined the women's team on an interim basis. Tang was part of England's backroom staff during Euro 2022 and has worked for the Football Association since 2016.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD WOMEN?

United published an advert for the vacant head physio position three weeks ago, and are understood to be close to appointing Kerem's successor. In the meantime, Skinner's side will look to go into the WSL winter break on a high with a positive result against Liverpool on Sunday.

Australia’s vice-captain says the side’s problem is not so much about failing to read India’s spinners, but the struggle to cope with the pressure of losing wickets in clumps

Alagappan Muthu in Indore23-Sep-20171:38

No excuse for non-debutants to not perform in India – Warner

Australia vice-captain David Warner has rebuked the notion that Australia are not reading India’s spinners. Instead, he has offered the explanation that at the points they were introduced, the batsmen were already under a lot of pressure and that, more than any other factor, caused the match-losing collapses.In Chennai, the score was 29 for 3 when the first Australian wicket fell to spin, in a match that suddenly took on the nature of a T20 because of rain. Four days later in Kolkata, Bhuvneshwar Kumar toppled the openers during a splendid new-ball spell and just as a partnership was developing between captain Steven Smith and Travis Head, the latter found short midwicket off a full toss to allow Kuldeep Yadav easy access to the lower middle order.Two-down in the series, Australia are faced with a must-win situation in Indore on Sunday to have a chance at the trophy and Warner felt they were not ill-equipped to do that.”I find that the players can read the spinners,” he said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday. “And that it’s the odd one or two that when they can’t see the seam, then the players react off the wicket and that’s probably the odd one here or there.”At the end of the day, you have to have a game plan against spin – whether or not to hit down the ground or sweep the ball. But when you’re losing wickets in clumps, you become tentative. So you have to apply that pressure [early]. If you get off to a good start and the spinners come on, it’s a different game then. It’s about the tempo of the game, and the situation of the game and I feel if we were in a different position, you’ll see a different mode against the spinners.”There may be good news on that front. Warner felt the pitch looked very good, and noted the boundaries were rather small. The conditions may prove to be conducive to the injured opener Aaron Finch’s style of play, if he is cleared to return. On Saturday, he went through a batting session in the nets and tested the range of movement in his calf by running twos and threes between the wickets as well.”He is a very good batter,” Warner said, “And he has played a lot of cricket for us over the past couple of years. He’s got a lot of experience and, for us at the top of the order, he brings a lot of aggression. It’s good signs to see him back in the nets and he’s doing everything he possibly can to be fit for this game.”Recurrent injury issues have meant that Australia have run through 35 players in the two years since the end of the last World Cup. Matthew Wade, the wicketkeeper, has been their most capped in this period, followed by Smith, Warner and a man now discarded: George Bailey.They went to South Africa last year with an under-strength bowling attack and lost 5-0. In February, they conceded the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in New Zealand. Rain dogged them in England at the Champions Trophy, where they failed to make it to the semi-finals. The outcome of this run is the record of 10 losses, two no-results, one abandoned fixture and no wins over their last 13 ODIs away from home. Not the best record for the reigning fifty-over world champions.”I think what you have to realise is we were world champions with a different team,” Warner said. “The team that we had when we won the World Cup was totally different. There was a totally different dynamic. The team has probably chopped and changed a little bit since then and it’s about the players putting numbers on the board and playing to the best of their ability.”We’re trying to work towards the next World Cup, we’ve got about 30 games and that was the same lead-up and preparation we had with the previous team so we’ve got to find a stable team and once we work out what’s going to be the best to defend the World Cup. At the moment, it’s a work in progress. Can’t say that teams are better than us or we’re better than other teams.”That job, however, appears a little hard at the moment, with Australia facing a fairly settled Indian line-up. Warner noted the difficulty an overseas batsman faces when he comes to the subcontinent for the first time and was particularly sympathetic to Hilton Cartwright, who has begun his ODI career as an opener in India with 2 runs in two matches, having to bat out of position.”It’s always challenging for a young guy to come into the team and take the bull by the horns. It is very, very difficult. Especially when you come over here and play for the first time on a world stage against one of the best ODI teams in their own backyard – it can be overwhelming. What he brings to us is a lot of energy and, I’ll say, experience in his knowledge of the game as well. He is a workaholic, he loves the game of cricket, he brings a good dynamic for us and we thoroughly love having him here.”Much as Warner was effusive in his praise of the young player, he conceded the seniors could not hide behind such excuses. “You grow up on wickets that are fast and bounce, and then you come up to the subcontinent and it’s your first Test series, it’s very hard to adapt. But when you keep coming back, there’s no excuse,” Warner said.”You should know the conditions very well. In saying that, when you’re out there, you become tentative. The game situation dictates that if you lose a couple of wickets, what do you do? Do you use your feet? Do you play with one stride? They are the things that you have to work out and adapt when you’re here. So as a senior player coming back to these situations you should know your game well enough. Our talk in the one-day format is to get off strike, to hit the guys in the boundaries; you should know that game very well.”

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag revealed his plan for unlocking Antony's threat against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

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• United face Forest at City Ground
• Ten Hag looking to get best out of Antony
• United hope to build on victory against Aston Villa

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ten Hag has explained that he is hoping to exploit space in behind the Forest defence to make the most of his Brazilian winger's threat in behind. Antony has struggled for form since his blockbuster move to United last season and has struggled again this term.

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  WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  Speaking to before the match, Ten Hag said: "[Antony] will have a good feeling. It is also a good opportunity for him to show that we have coached a lot and trained a lot about runs in behind, and we expect that from all [players] but especially the front line."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Antony is yet to score a single goal or register an assist this season. However, he may feel more positive today given his last goal for the Red Devils came away at Forest in April.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?

  After facing Forest, United make the short trip away to Wigan in the FA Cup third round in what is the final chance for Antony and Ten Hag to win silverware this season.

Sachin Tendulkar’s son, Arjun, a left-arm quick, moves a step closer towards professional cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-20171:15

Tendulkar’s son bowls at England in the nets

Arjun Tendulkar, son of Sachin Tendulkar, has been selected for the Mumbai Under-19 one-day side for the JY Lele invitational tournament to be played in Baroda from September 16 to 23. Arjun, who has also represented Mumbai in Under-16 cricket in 2015-16, will turn 18 on September 24. Although not a BCCI tournament, the team will represent the Mumbai Cricket Association, which could be a step closer to selection for official U-19 cricket.A left-arm quick, Arjun recently bowled in the nets in the lead-up to the Lord’s Test between England and South Africa, sending Jonny Bairstow off with an injury scare when he hit him on the toe with a yorker. He has also bowled in India nets previously.A day after his selection on Saturday, Arjun played an important part in helping Parel CC draw their Kanga League B division match at Shivaji Park. He batted an hour for 15 runs, and returned figures of 1 for 14 in five overs. One of the opposition batsmen was former Mumbai wicketkeeper-batsman and coach Sulakshan Kulkarni.”I faced Arjun, and it seems he is an aggressive bowler,” Kulkarni told “The more he bowls the better he will get.”Arjun’s father, Sachin Tendulkar has in the past asked to spare his son any comparisons.”I am not interfering in his career because I think it is not fair,” Sachin told in April 2016. “He has to have freedom to express himself. I can guide him. Not on a regular basis, but when I feel that he needs to be told something, then I do. I don’t take his class every evening when he comes back home. I do not want to lecture, but let him enjoy the game and fall in love with cricket, which he is (doing). I have told him things about hard work like any father would.”Unfortunately, he has the excess baggage of his surname and I know that is going to be there. It is not easy for him. For me, it was different as my father was a writer and nobody questioned me on cricket. I feel that my son should not be compared to me and should be judged for who he is.”