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Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has candidly shared that the potential departure of Alexander Isak would cause discontent among the squad, amidst mounting speculation linking the Swedish striker with a big-money transfer to Liverpool. Isak’s future has become the subject of intense discussion, with reports suggesting the Reds are seriously considering a move that could see them fork out as much as £150 million ($203m) for the Magpies’ talisman.

• Isak is being pursued by Liverpool
• The Reds are ready to pay a British record transfer fee
• Newcastle adamant to hold on to him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Notably absent from Newcastle’s current preseason tour of Singapore and South Korea, Isak's absence has officially been attributed to a “minor thigh issue” by the club. However, reports have revealed that there may be more to the story.

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  The Swedish international was also left out of the squad for a friendly fixture against Celtic, with insiders suggesting that head coach Eddie Howe opted to leave him out due to ongoing uncertainty regarding the player's future. It’s understood that Isak himself has put in a transfer request amid heightened interest from Liverpool.

• WHAT BURN SAID

  Upon arriving with the team for their international tour, Dan Burn addressed the swirling speculation surrounding his teammate and revealed that any departure, particularly that of a key figure like Isak, would be felt deeply.

  "If we lost any player it would upset our tight-knit group that's been together for two or three years now," the England international said. "Any player that leaves, it doesn't help but from our point of view we're just going to control what we can control.

  "We're looking forward to getting Alex back when he's fit. It's a question for Alex to answer. He's obviously a big player for us, but we do have a lot of quality in the squad as well. Bringing Anthony [Elanga] in as well, which I think was a great signing."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool have been aggressive in the current transfer market, already securing key talents such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Hugo Ekitike. However, with the potential for a forward line and questions over Darwin Nunez’s and Luis Diaz's long-term role, the Merseyside club is believed to be prioritising a proven goalscorer. The proposed £150m fee would make Isak the most expensive player in Premier League history, and would test Newcastle’s resolve to keep their top scorer.

Vice-captain underlines change of approach with hosts hoping to engineer Pindi turner

Danyal Rasool22-Oct-2024There is little secret about Pakistan’s ambitions for the pitch by now. Before the second Test reached its inevitable conclusion, Aleem Dar and Aqib Javed were already on their way to Rawalpindi to oversee work on the pitch for the final Test. At the post-match press conference in Multan, Shan Masood said he’d like the surface to take turn. Two days later, giant heaters, the sort usually seen in Pakistan for open air winter wedding events, were positioned on the edges of the strip, with windbreakers encircling it for maximum efficiency. Industrial-sized fans accompanied them.None of this has gone unnoticed by an England side who appeared largely out-of-ideas for how to combat Pakistan’s spinners on a turning track in Multan. Harry Brook told a press conference he believed the Pindi surface had been “raked” by groundstaff to speed up the deterioration process that brings spinners into games early. Shortly after, England announced a playing XI featuring just one specialist seamer in Gus Atkinson, with legspinner Rehan Ahmed coming in.Pakistan have needed to adopt extreme measures to increase the odds of a turning track, because, unlike in Multan, they are attempting to make the surface behave against its nature. Unlike in Multan, there isn’t a used surface available, as was the case when Pakistan decided to recycle the same strip as the first Test for the next game. Masood said he had “never seen it take turn” in Pindi, and his vice-captain, Saud Shakeel, echoed that, while saying he was hopeful this time would be different.Related

• Harry Brook seeks emphatic response after rare fallow outing in Pakistan

• Jason Gillespie 'sits on the fence' as Pakistan go all-in on the short term

• Pakistan keep faith in unchanged XI for series decider against England

• England stay on the front foot as Pakistan crank up the spin settings again

• Stokes and England braced for Pindi spin-quisition

“If you look at the difference between Multan and Pindi, there’s a difference of climate,” Shakeel said. “Multan is warmer than Pindi, Multan is warmer and more humid compared to Pindi. Pindi favours fast bowlers slightly and has more bounce, compared to Multan. The groundsman prepares according to that, and I think that’s what causes the changes in the pitch.”But the way the pitch looks and the success we got in the second Test, we’ll try for a similar kind of pitch that favours us and helps us win this game.”Since returning from the UAE, Pakistan have agonised over how best to use home advantage. In the first couple of years, the wisdom was to shift sharply from their tactics in the UAE, reverting to seam-friendly pitches they believed would be easier to prepare. It coincided with a young crop of fast bowlers, primarily Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, coming up. Early encouragement, such as a Naseem five-for against Sri Lanka and a hat-trick against Bangladesh, followed up by a two-Test series win over South Africa where Afridi took five wickets on a decisive final day in Pindi, appeared to vindicate that tactic.However, since Pakistan deliberately neutered a surface in Pindi ahead of a Test against Australia, seam-friendly pitches vanished overnight. Pakistan went on an 11-match winless run at home, their joint longest, losing seven of those games. That streak was only broken on a crumbling track in Multan last week.It appears, for now, to have led to a sharp volte-face in the PCB’s thinking. “We should look at pitches for series to series and match to match. And we’ve come to realise this quite late,” Shakeel said. “If you want to prepare for SENA [series in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia], you can do it during practice and first-class cricket. If there’s first-class cricket before South Africa, we could prepare those kinds of pitches there. But we should prepare pitches and conditions series-by-series, and according to the opposition.”Our comeback in the second game gave us a really good morale boost. A win is always very helpful in creating a positive atmosphere. We’ll try to give spinners an advantage once more because they struggled with that in the second Test.”Pakistan opted not to name their XI on Tuesday, as England have done, preferring a longer look at the surface. Legspinner Zahid Mahmood was ineffective despite helpful conditions in Multan, bowling only six overs all match, potentially raising the chances slightly of playing a specialist seamer.Ultimately, with England having named three spinners, that appears unlikely. “I can’t say at the moment, because we haven’t discussed this,” Shakeel said. “If there’s a spinning pitch, we may go with three spinners again.”

AC Milan are eyeing a move for English defender Archie Brown, whom they consider a possible replacement for Al-Hilal-bound Theo Hernandez.

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• Milan eye move for Gent full-back Archie Brown
• Rossoneri in contact with club and player's representatives
• Has featured for the England U-20s in the past

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report by , Milan, Gent, and Brown’s entourage are in contact over a possible move for the 23-year-old full-back, who is contracted at the Jupiler Pro League side until 2027. The Rossoneri sporting director, Igli Tare, has shortlisted three candidates to hand new manager Massimiliano Allegri a top left-back option to replace Frenchman Hernandez, and Brown is a potential candidate.

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  The French left-back has decided to shift base to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, agreeing to a three-year deal worth €20 million ($23m/£17m) net per season, and will be undergoing his medicals this Thursday. Hence, in order to fill the void left by Hernandez, Milan are eyeing a move for 23-year-old defender Brown.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Brown spent his youth at English club Derby, gradually climbing the ladder to feature for the Under 23 side. In 2021, he signed for Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland as a free agent, before making a switch to Jupiler Pro League side Gent in 2023. He has also represented England in the U20 age group, featuring in two fixtures and scoring a goal. Last season, he appeared 46 times across all competitions, and scored three goals and provided six assists for the Belgian outfit.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

  Milan have started their pre-season camp under the mentorship of Allegri, and will play four friendlies against English clubs Arsenal, Liverpool, Leeds United, and Chelsea, and one against Australian club Perth Glory, before meeting Bari in the Coppa Italia first round game on 17 August.

MatériaMais Notícias

da betano casino： O Concórdia chega na última rodada da fase de grupos da Série D do Brasileirão na luta por uma vaga na próxima fase da competição. A goleada sobre o Caxias por 4 a 0, na última rodada, deu um gás a mais para o Galo do Oeste que visita o Brasil de Pelotas, na última rodada.

Nome que chamava atenção por suas apresentações no sub-20, o meio-campista Pedro Cella ganhou mais espaço na reta final da Série D (mais precisamente, desde o último mês de junho) e não decepcionou. Com ótimas atuações, ele vem ajudando o Concórdia a manter as esperanças por uma vaga na próxima fase.

– Estou muito feliz com o momento. É importante para um jogador jovem, como eu, esse tipo de sequência e em um torneio tão equilibrado como a Série D. Com muito trabalho e pés no chão, consegui buscar meu espaço e fico grato por ajudar o Concórdia – afirmou.

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da cassino online： >Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00

Pedro Cella também analisou o confronto decisivo diante dos gaúchos onde, na visão do jogador, o importante é o Concórdia fazer a parte dele sem pensar nos demais resultados:

– É uma decisão. O Brasil de Pelotas está atrás da nossa equipe na tabela, mas ainda tem também chances de avançar. Precisamos ter foco total no jogo, sem ansiedade pelo o que acontece nos outros jogos. Um jogo onde precisamos de muita concentração e aproveitar as chances que tivermos. Estou preparado e o elenco também para buscarmos essa vaga.

Tendo atualmente 19 pontos e estando na quinta posição do Grupo 8, a equipe catarinense está atrás no saldo de gol de outro clube do estado, o Camboriú, última equipe da chave atualmente classificada.

Além disso, o CAC tem apenas um ponto a menos do que o terceiro (São Joseense) e o segundo colocado da chave, o Caxias, sendo que ambos se enfrentam na rodada derradeira da primeira fase. Com isso, basta vencer e o Concórdia estará, inevitavelmente, na próxima fase da Série D.

It was another semi-final defeat on Wednesday night for Arsenal and, as a result, another season that’ll end trophyless.

It was always going to be a tough challenge for Mikel Arteta’s side to overturn their first-leg defeat away to Paris Saint-Germain, but to lose 2-1 on the night just makes it all the more painful.

Moreover, while the visitors started the first half pretty well, they soon faded, and while they played with some real heart, a number of players just didn’t perform well enough.

One of those was Thomas Partey, who picked up a 3/10 match rating from Alex Turk of the Express, and while there was talk of a contract renewal, there have also been links to a certain international who could join this summer and send him packing.

Arsenal transfer news

Before getting to the player in question, it is worth taking a look at some of the other midfield stars Arsenal have been linked with in recent weeks, like Hugo Larsson and Eduardo Camavinga.

Transfer Focus

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

The former is still only 20 years old but has already become an established starter at Eintracht Frankfurt and could reportedly cost up to £51m, while the latter was sent off against the Gunners in the first leg of Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final with the club, but with a release clause of £1bn, who knows how much he’d cost.

Fortunately, another international midfielder heavily linked with the North Londoners has a far more reasonable release clause and could be the ideal Partey replacement: Martin Zubimendi.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are still incredibly keen on signing the Real Sociedad star this summer, with Arteta making him a ‘top reinforcement priority.’

While interest from Real is far from ideal, reports from elsewhere claiming the Spaniard has a release clause worth £51m could and should make signing him far more straightforward for the North Londoners.

It might still be a lot of money, but Zubimendi has proven his ability over several years now, and as he could be the perfect Partey replacement, Arsenal should do all they can to bring him to N5.

How Zubimendi compares to Partey

So then, if Arsenal are able to sign Zubimendi this summer, there is no doubt he’d come in and play the position Partey has this season, but how does he stack up to the veteran?

Is he good enough to send him packing in the summer without a new contract?

Well, given their position on the pitch and what their primary roles are, their raw output is not all that important.

Instead, the best way to better understand how they truly stack up against one another is to look under the hood at their relevant underlying numbers.

When doing this, it’s evident that while the former Atlético Madrid star does have the advantage in some areas, the bread and butter of a number six, the defensive work, is done far better by the San Sebastian-born star.

Progressive Carries

1.14

1.14

Progressive Passes

5.92

6.09

Passing Accuracy

83.2%

87.3%

Completed Long Passes

3.55

3.02

Blocked Shots

0.54

0.25

Blocked Passes

0.77

0.64

Interceptions

1.20

1.14

Clearances

2.47

1.64

Errors Leading to a Shot

0.10

0.14

Fouls

1.40

1.43

Ball Recoveries

4.38

4.38

Aerial Duels Won

1.67

0.93

Aerial Duel Win %

61.7%

54.2%

For example, the “world-class” defensive midfielder, as dubbed by former teammate Kieran Tierney, comes out on top in essential metrics like blocked shots and passes, interceptions, aerial duels won, clearances made, and he even makes fewer mistakes that lead to a shot, all per 90.

On top of this statistical advantage, the “elite” international, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is also five and a half years the Ghanaian’s junior and has a far healthier injury record.

For example, across his entire career, the Basque star has missed just ten games for club and country, whereas the Gunners’ number five has missed a staggering 88, so no matter how available he’s been this year, you can never truly rely on him in the long run.

Ultimately, from his defensive output to his availability and age, it’s clear that Zubimendi would be the perfect player to come in and replace Partey this summer, in turn making a new contract for the 31-year-old redundant.

Arsenal line up move for PSG star who'd be a big upgrade on Martinelli

The incredibly entertaining international is just what Arsenal need this summer.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 8, 2025

da 888casino： Wolverhampton Wanderers are now set to make an enquiry for £50 million Liverpool ace who could be a key player for Vitor Pereira, according to a new report.

Wolves step up summer transfer plans

da betcris： The Midlands side already look set to lose one key player this summer, as Matheus Cunha allegedly edges closer to a move to Manchester United. Therefore, not only will Cunha’s departure bring money to the club, but it also means Wolves will need to enter the market to sign at least one new striker.

Related Wolves want "incredible" 25 y/o Atletico Madrid star who may replace Cunha

The Brazilian forward could depart this summer.

Posts ByTom Cunningham May 4, 2025

Already the Old Gold have been linked with a move for Jamie Vardy, who is set to become a free agent once his contract at Leicester City expires. But as well as looking at Vardy, Wolves are also interested in signing Phil Harres from Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel, and club chiefs have also held internal talks over signing Cameron Archer from Southampton. Archer has been in and out of the Southampton team this season, and given their relegation to the Championship, he could be available for a transfer.

As well as looking for a new number nine, Ben Jacobs revealed last week that Wolves could sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea. The midfielder has really struggled since moving to Stamford Bridge, and he could be available for a transfer this summer, given his lack of game time, and the Midlands side could be tempted to make a move.

Wolves set to make enquiry for £50m Liverpool ace

But Dewsbury-Hall is not the only Premier League midfielder on the radar of Pereira and co, as according to Give Me Sport, Wolves are ready to make a move to sign Harvey Elliott from Liverpool, as he looks set to leave Anfield.

The report states that the Midlands side are likely to make an enquiry over signing Elliott, as he’s been identified as someone who can replace Cunha. Wolves are not put off by the fact that Liverpool have placed a £50 million price tag on the midfielder’s head.

GMS add that Wolves want to make Elliott a ‘centrepiece’ of their plans under Pereira if they manage to find an agreement with Liverpool. They are not the only team chasing Elliott, though, as Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Brighton and teams from overseas are all interested in a potential deal for the England U21 international.

Harvey Elliott’s Premier League stats

Apps

91

Goals

4

Assists

12

Elliott, who has been described as “special” by journalist Bence Bocsak, has struggled for regular game time this season. The 22-year-old has played 25 games in all competitions, but only five have come as a starter, and Elliott has managed just one start in the Premier League, and that came on Sunday in the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Wolves will hope the fact they want to make him a key part of their plans under Pereira will be enough to tempt him to leave Anfield and move to Molineux, despite the fact he hasn’t made up his mind if he wants to leave the Premier League champions.

Manchester United are edging closer to finding new homes for unwanted wingers Antony and Jadon Sancho.

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• Former England winger looking into Italy move
• Juve and Napoli interested in Sancho
• Antony open to lowering salary demands

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sancho is considering a move to Serie A, according to , after Chelsea opted against signing him permanently following an unsatisfactory season on loan at Stamford Bridge. Antony, meanwhile, is reported to be ready to accept a 30 percent pay cut in order to move away from United following his exceptional spell on loan at Real Betis. According to the , United must sell the Brazilian for a minimum of £32.58m to avoid making a loss on the deal the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules.

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  Napoli and Juventus are the two Serie A clubs who have shown the most interest in Sancho, according to respected Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio. Napoli has proved a popular destination for United outcasts lately, with Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku firing Antonio Conte's side to the title last season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sancho moved to United from Borussia Dortmund for £74 million ($99m) in the summer of 2021 but the move has been an unmitigated disaster. The winger failed to impress in his first two campaigns and his third season effectively ended after a couple of his weeks after a furious spat with Erik ten Hag. He had an encouraging spell on loan back at Dortmund, helping them reach the Champions League final. However, his return to the Premier League did not go to plan, with Chelsea so reluctant to sign him permanently that they paid United £5m to get out of their obligation to buy him. Antony cost even more than Sancho, becoming United's second most expensive signing ever when he joined from Ajax for £85m. He left the club in January having scored only five Premier League goals in two-and-a-half seasons. He scored as many goals in half a season with Betis.

• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  United must sell Sancho and Antony in order to help finance their ambitious squad rebuild after finishing 15th in the Premier League last season. The club are also looking to sell Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho after both players fell out with Ruben Amorim. Matheus Cunha became the Red Devils' first signing of the summer earlier this month while the club are working on a deal to bring in Bryan Mbeumo and they are monitoring the situation of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.

Tamim Iqbal has opted out of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s central contracts list for 2024. Among the 21 cricketers who were handed national contracts, Shoriful Islam and new captain Najmul Hossain Shanto got the all-format deals.Taskin Ahmed, who had the triple contract last year, now has the ODI and T20I deal with the BCB. He had reportedly sent a letter to the BCB recently, asking to not be considered for Tests. Taskin is managing a shoulder injury that he suffered during the World Cup in India last year. He missed the home Tests against New Zealand thereafter, as well as the white-ball tour to New Zealand in December. He is currently playing in the BPL for Durdanto Dhaka.Tamim had retired from international cricket in July last year but it lasted less than 24 hours, with the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina talking him out of the decision. He resigned from captaincy and made himself available for the World Cup, but not before falling out with the BCB.Related

• Shanto wants Tamim 'available in all formats' for Bangladesh

• New Bangladesh chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain promises independent decision-making

• Najmul Hossain Shanto named Bangladesh captain in all formats

Tamim’s relationship with the board, though, has been mostly amicable in the past few months. He has said he will make an announcement about his status as an international cricketer during the BPL.Meanwhile, Ebadot Hossain, Afif Hossain and Mosaddek Hossain have been left out of the central contracts list. Among the new entrants for 2024 are Towhid Hridoy, Tanzim Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Naeem Hasan and Nurul Hasan.Also, the BCB has approved the first-class cricketers’ salary contract for 2024, with 85 players receiving contracts.

2024 Bangladesh central contracts

All formats: Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shoriful IslamTests and ODIs: Mushfiqur RahimODIs and T20Is: Taskin Ahmed, Towhid Hridoy, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan MahmudOnly Tests: Mominul Hoque, Taijul Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Khaled Ahmed, Naeem HasanOnly ODIs: Mahmudullah, Tanzim HasanOnly T20Is: Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Nurul Hasan

Scorchers’ late season slump continued against Heat with a ragged bowling and fielding effort proving costly

Tristan Lavalette29-Nov-2023
Grace Harris smashed a half-century to deflate Perth Scorchers before offspinner Georgia Voll claimed four wickets as Brisbane Heat stormed into the WBBL final after a commanding performance at the WACA.Having flown cross-country before playing on consecutive days, an indefatigable Heat relished a fast surface to post the highest score in a WBBL final. They then bowled and fielded with discipline in a superb defence to stun a crowd of 2226 fans.Heat will play Adelaide Strikers in Saturday’s final at Adelaide Oval. They’ve had to do it the long way after a convincing 44-run victory over Sydney Thunder in the elimination final at the WACA just a day earlier.”It’s always a great match-up when we play them. It’s going to be a great final,” Voll said with Heat and Strikers having split their two games this season. “It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere and hopefully we can knock them over one more time.”It was a disappointing end for Scorchers, who sat on top of the ladder before losing their last three matches of the regular season. Their slump continued against Heat with a ragged bowling and fielding effort proving costly.”Definitely a tough one, pretty stunned for words. But the dust will settle and we can celebrate what’s been a really great season,” Scorchers legspinner Alana King said.Harris vindicated captain Jess Jonassen’s decision to bat first in sunny conditions with a whirlwind in the powerplay. She had emerged from a form slump with 45 off 22 balls against Thunder and continued the momentum with a second ball boundary after charging offspinner Amy Edgar.Harris was equally destructive against pace and thumped quick Chloe Ainsworth through the covers in the next over.Harris scored 33 of Heat’s 41 runs in the first four overs with struggling opener Georgia Redmayne intent on turning over the strike. The end of the powerplay did little to curb Harris, who continued her aerial assault including a six over long-on that thundered into the mammoth sightscreen under the ground’s famous light towers.She fittingly reached her half-century with a boundary off seamer Piepa Cleary, who in frustration bowled a bouncer that flew way over Harris for a no ball.Scorchers resorted to allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was playing her last game of the season regardless of the result. She stood up with the key wicket of Harris by trapping her lbw in a decision that was upheld after an umpire’s call on review.Georgia Voll grabbed 4 for 19•Getty ImagesWithout Harris, Heat were pinned down in the middle overs with Sciver-Brunt bowling an accurate full length, while King was a constant wicket-taking threat.Heat were in danger of again falling away in the latter overs much like against Thunder, but Laura Harris stepped up with consecutive sixes off seamer Sophie Devine in the 17th over.Charli Knott, on her 21st birthday, then took over with 32 off 14 balls as Heat had one foot in the final.Devine did not take up her favoured position at the top alongside Beth Mooney. Instead, Lauren Winfield-Hill held onto her opener’s role and smashed 15 runs quickly before falling to quick Nicola Hancock.It wasn’t long before Devine came to the crease at No.4 alongside Mooney as the pair briefly provided a flicker of hope for Scorchers. But they fell in quick succession with the burden on Sciver-Brunt, who attempted a rally against the odds.But when she fell lbw to Jonassen on 36, it was only a matter of time before Heat wrapped up a memorable trip to Perth as they kept alive their bid for a third WBBL title.

Embracing T20 leagues as a feeder system for international cricket, instead of viewing franchise tournaments and bilateral matches as being in conflict with each other, will benefit both forms of the game, according to South Africa wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi.Speaking after South Africa beat India by five wickets in Gqeberha, with both teams fielding experimental XIs, Shamsi emphasised that leagues can help to create more players who are ready for international cricket and allow for skill sharing.Related

• India and South Africa prep for T20I series decider

• Tilak points to 'rain and wet outfield' for defeat in Gqeberha

• Is it India's best T20I XI if Rinku isn't in it?

• Hendricks, Markram put South Africa 1-0 up after rain-hit clash

“When the leagues first started, they were seen in a bad light in the sense that it was all about players wanting to earn money. But when you play in different leagues, you pick up little bits of golden nuggets,” Shamsi said. “We are so used to doing things a certain way in South Africa, as are other countries, so you pick up bits and pieces of what other other people do slightly differently and you try that for yourself. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t and you improve as a player. Guys go and get more experience, and it gives other players and it widens the pool.”The best example of that is Shamsi himself. He was playing in the second tier of South Africa’s domestic system in the early 2010s when he was recruited by the Kitts & Nevis Patriots for the 2015 CPL. He finished as their highest wicket-taker and a year later made his debut for South Africa in an ODI series in West Indies, and said the experience of the CPL helped him make the transition to the national team.”As a youngster playing in the CPL before I made my debut for the Proteas in West Indies helped me feel so relaxed because I had been in those stadiums and I had done well on those pitches. So when I eventually did play for South Africa, I felt at home,” he said.He believes other players have benefitted from similar experiences in leagues around the world, particularly Indian players in the IPL.”Over the years, we’ve seen what the IPL has done for Indian players and Indian youngsters in particular. When they come to the international scene they have already played in front of huge crowds, they have had their disappointments and bad games in front of huge crowds, so they have learned how to deal with that, and they’ve had success in front of good crowds so they know how to deal with that too,” he said. “When they come to international cricket, it’s just business as usual.”From India’s current squad, Yashavi Jaiswal is a case in point. He moved through the ranks in Indian domestic cricket and the Under-19 side before being picked up by Rajasthan Royals. He plays alongside Jos Buttler there and holds the record for the fastest IPL fifty, off 13 balls, before he made his international debut and he was more than ready for the big time. In 14 T20Is, he already has one hundred and two fifties to his name.”After the IPL, when the Indian players come to international cricket, it’s just business as usual”•AFP/Getty Images

Shamsi doesn’t think it will be too long before South Africa will have a success story similar to this, of their own.”The SA20 is brilliant for our country – in giving exposure to players. We’ve just had one season so we may not see it now, or in the near future but in the years to come we will see how much more prepared our new generation and guys that are in the system will be when they do play for the Proteas,” he said. “It won’t be a thing that they are playing international cricket. They will just let their natural talent shine.”All players in South Africa’s current T20I squad have SA20 deals, and South Africa will rely heavily on performances in that tournament to select their T20 World Cup squad. That’s because they only have one more pre-World Cup series – in West Indies, just before the tournament – and they will travel there with their final 15.That gives fringe players such as opening batter Matthew Breetzke, allrounder Donovan Ferreira and left-arm seamer Nandre Burger an opening to force their way into the T20 World Cup squad, and they’ll know many eyes will be on them.”The SA20 is huge in terms of preparation for the (T20) World Cup. It will be in different conditions but it’s T20 cricket and it’s good to play as much cricket as you can play,” Shamsi said. “And not only to have good games. I am a big believer that when you have bad games you learn a lot and you improve your game a lot. You’ve just got to be playing. It gives you another 10 fixtures to play high quality cricket.”The SA20 takes place from January 10 to February 10 and will clash with South Africa’s two-Test tour of New Zealand which starts on February 4. CSA has confirmed that all Test players with SA20 contracts will be unavailable for their Tests as they are obliged to play for the franchises and so a makeshift Test side will be sent to New Zealand instead.