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Stars crumble to 9 for 97 then Beth Mooney hits half-century in rapid chase

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2021Katie Mack’s career-best marshaled Adelaide Strikers’ chase as they got home with eight balls to spare to lift themselves above Sydney Sixers into fourth place.Due to a scheduling quirk, Strikers have had games in hand leading into the back end of the group stage and have made them count over the last two days with wins over both Sydney teams. Despite losing Dane van Niekerk in the first over of the chase they had it under control almost throughout as Mack and Laura Wolvaardt added 79 then captain Tahlia McGrath hit an unbeaten 40 off 30 balls alongside Mack.Sixers had suffered a powerplay stumbled after Ellyse Perry had made a promising start with a brisk 24. However, having taken Darcie Brown for a four and six she was then run out when Bridget Patterson made a good save at point. Next ball, Brown speared one through Ash Gardner, who had returned to form in recent games, and when Alyssa Healy pulled Brown to midwicket Sixers were 3 for 38.They recovered through a stand of 84 in 12 overs between Nicola Bolton and Shafali Verma. The latter was dropped twice, both simple chances in the point area, on the way to her second fifty off the season – off 40 balls – and her first since moving into the middle order. Maitlan Brown helped finish the innings but in the end they were well short in good batting conditions.Alana King celebrates a wicket•Mark Brake/Getty ImagesPerth Scorchers produced another sizzling bowling display to smash Melbourne Stars at Karen Rolton Oval and vault into second spot on the WBBL table.For the second time in successive matches Scorchers bowled first and kept their opposition to a total under 100 with Alana King, Sophie Devine and Heather Graham each taking two wickets before Devine and Beth Mooney produced a flawless chase to run down the target of 98 with 9.1 overs to spare. Mooney finished 57 not out from 38 balls while Devine was unbeaten on 35.Stars won the toss and elected to bat but capitulated after Meg Lanning chopped on in the second over. Annabel Sutherland fell for a duck before King knocked over Maia Bouchier and Elyse Villani with two superb deliveries to leave Stars struggling at 4 for 24. The legspinner bowled Bouchier around her legs after she moved across her stumps to sweep behind square. King then produced one of the deliveries of the tournament to remove Villani. From wide of the crease, she delivered a leg break that drifted in, pitched on middle, and spun past the edge to clip the top of off leaving Villani mystified as to how her forward defence had been breached.It was left to the Stars lower order to try and post a defendable total. Not for the first time in this WBBL Kim Garth shouldered the responsibility making 31 from 31 to help lift the total to 9 for 97.It was nowhere near enough as the WBBL’s best opening pair made light work of the chase clubbing 14 boundaries and a six to reach the target in 10.5 overs. Mooney made her third score of 50 plus for the tournament. Winning with 55 balls to spare made it the joint second-largest win chasing in WBBL history.

West Ham are already looking ahead to the January transfer window as they look to turn around their poor start to the Premier League season, according to a fresh report.

West Ham boss Lopetegui in the firing line

Another disappointing defeat and performance piled the pressure on West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui, as his side fell to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time when Edson Alvarez was sent off, the Hammers offered very little as they were comfortably beaten by Forest, leaving the London side languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, a point above newly promoted Leicester City.

It followed a summer in which they backed Lopetegui significantly, signing eight new players for a total outlay in excess of £150m, headed by the arrival of Championship player of the year Crysencio Summerville and promising centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo.

But, the former Wolves boss has already become the first West Ham boss to lose his first three Premier League home games, and there is little sign of the situation improving ten games into the season, piling pressure on him.

Though the Hammers board are still sticking with him, there is a feeling that upcoming games could be crucial as the Hammers face three sides below them alongside games against Arsenal and Newcastle, the calibre of teams that Lopetegui was signed to try and compete with.

West Ham’s next five games

Everton (home)

Newcastle United (away)

Arsenal (home)

Leicester City (away)

Wolves (home)

One of their biggest problems has been finding the net, with West Ham having scored 13 times so far this season and lacking a clinical striker. Now, they are already looking to fix that in January.

West Ham ready to sign striker for £30m

It has been reported in Brazil that West Ham are ready to raid the South American market once more to sign Corinthians striker Igor Jesus. The Hammers have already signed Luis Guilherme in recent months, though the teenager is yet to feature significantly for Lopetegui’s side as he adapts to life in English football.

And Brazilian outlet Globo [via Sport Witness] claim that West Ham are now ready to follow that addition up with a move for Jesus. In fact, in “recent days”, intermediaries have “approached Botafogo owner John Textor” in order to make a verbal offer for Jesus, with West Ham “wanting to offer £30m” to sign the 23-year-old striker.

West Ham should sack Lopetegui and replace him with fantastic 4-2-3-1 boss

West Ham must sack Lopetegui to bring in this “fantastic” coach as his replacement.

ByConnor Holden Nov 4, 2024

It is added that “Botafogo were impressed with these figures suggested by the agent but will only respond when Julen Lopetegui’s side table an official proposal”, something which could be forthcoming at the end of the Brazilian season, which coincides with the Premier League’s January transfer window.

Though they signed Niclas Füllkrug in the summer transfer window, injury to the German means that West Ham are still lacking a threat at the top of the pitch, with Michail Antonio and Danny Ings now in the twilight of their careers.

Jesus has grabbed eight goals and three assist this season in Brazil, and should he be able to translate his form to the Premier League, he could be a key signing for the Hammers as they look to recover from a dreadful start to the campaign.

Netherlands international ended playing career after T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2021Ryan ten Doeschate will join Kent as a batting coach in his first full-time role since retiring from professional cricket earlier this year.Ten Doeschate, who turned 41 in June, retired from the game after playing for Netherlands in the T20 World Cup in October following the end of the county season.He travelled to South Africa on Netherlands’ aborted tour as a mentor and was tipped by Ryan Campbell, their head coach, as a potential successor in that role, but has opted to sign a deal with Kent, where he will work alongside his former Essex team-mate Matt Walker developing young batters like Zak Crawley and Jordan Cox.Related

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“I’m excited to be given the opportunity to work with Matt Walker and the Kent squad, especially with the talented group of players that have just won the Vitality Blast and will compete in Division One of next season’s LV= Insurance County Championship,” ten Doeschate said.”I’m ready to start a new chapter of my career and use my experience and that of some of the others I’ve worked with to influence and improve the players and the group.”Ten Doeschate will replace Michael Yardy, who spent two years as Kent’s batting coach but recently returned to Sussex as their academy director following Richard Halsall’s departure.Paul Downton, Kent’s director of cricket, said that ten Doeschate would bring a “winning mentality” to the club. “We are delighted to welcome ‘Tendo’ to the club following his recent retirement as an outstanding player,” he said.”He is a proven leader with two Championship wins under his captaincy at Essex, and he already has a varied coaching CV. He will bring with him a winning mentality and all the experience of a successful playing career into an ambitious Kent dressing room keen to learn.”Equally important, I have no doubt that he will fit in extremely well with Matt Walker, who he has played alongside in his career, and Simon Cook [bowling coach] to create a really exciting coaching team at Kent.”

Christian Eriksen has explained his absence for Manchester United's game against Tottenham amid fears over the midfielder's health.

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Eriksen missed weekend's defeatAmorim says United being 'careful' with himMidfielder provided positive updateFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Denmark international's absence in last weekend's 1-0 loss at Tottenham sparked fears about his heart condition, which has affected him since he collapsed during a Euro 2020 clash. Eriksen has been playing with a heart-starting device since resuming his career in the Premier League.

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Ruben Amorim explained that the Red Devils are taking a careful approach with the 33-year-old and the ex-Spurs star has clarified that he was merely suffering from a virus in a reassuring update.

WHAT ERIKSEN SAID

Eriksen wrote on an Instagram post: "I just wanted to thank everyone for the get well messages I've been receiving after missing the Spurs game. I picked up a virus like many people do at this time of year. Nothing serious and soon ready to get back to training."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ERIKSEN?

It is unclear if Eriksen will be back in Amorim's squad for this weekend's Premier League clash against Everton, who have risen to 14th – a place and a point above United – since ex-Red Devils boss David Moyes returned to Goodison Park.

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing an in-demand £35,000-a-week defender in January, according to a new report.

The Reds have enjoyed a fantastic start to the Premier League season but suffered a bump in the road over the weekend as they were beaten by Newcastle United at The City Ground. Nuno Espirito Santo will hope this doesn’t derail their campaign as supporters continue to dream of European football.

Nottingham Forest and 8 other Premier League surprise packages

The Premier League has had plenty of surprise packages over the previous 30 years – here are some of the best.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Nov 5, 2024 Nottingham Forest news

Forest’s start to the season has been so good that owner Evangelos Marinakis is keen to tie Nuno down to a new contract. The Portuguese’s current deal runs until 2026, but the fact that the Reds sit in the top half, a few points away from the top four, has “impressed” Marinakis to the point that a new deal is in the offing.

That will likely be a priority for the Forest board, as they will not want to lose Nuno to another team. But as well as looking to secure their manager’s future, the Premier League side are also looking ahead to January.

Forest are interested in signing Chris Rigg from Sunderland after his impressive performances in the Championship have put him on their radar. The midfielder has caught the eye of a number of teams in recent weeks, and Forest are now the latest side to show an interest as they look to bolster their squad when January arrives.

As well as looking at Rigg, Forest also hold an interest in another player playing in England – someone who is unhappy with his current situation.

Nottingham Forest eyeing January deal for Lamptey

According to CaughtOffside, Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Tariq Lamptey from Brighton & Hove Albion. The right-back has been with the Seagulls since January 2020, when he joined from Chelsea after coming through the youth academy at Stamford Bridge.

Lamptey, who earns £35,000 a week at Brighton, was a firm regular in the starting XI when he arrived, playing a key role under former managers Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi, but the same cannot be said under Fabian Hurzeler.

The 24-year-old has played just four times this season, and three of those appearances have come in the Carabao Cup. His single appearance in the league came in a 10-minute cameo against Wolves a couple of weeks ago.

Appearances

90

Goals

1

Assists

8

Lamptey is in the final year of his contract at Brighton and is thought to be considering leaving the club by the end of the season, but given that is when his contract ends, Brighton may look to offload him in January.

It is reported that the defender has shown no desire to sign a new contract as he is unhappy with his current situation, which has alerted Forest, as well as Brentford, Everton, and West Ham. His preference is to remain in the Premier League, but he does have an option to move abroad, as Juventus are also interested in his services.

Newcastle United’s lack of ambition during the summer transfer window could come back to haunt them, especially as the Premier League fixtures come thick and fast leading up to the festive period.

Eddie Howe made just five signings, including 37-year-old goalkeeper John Ruddy and 21-year-old centre-forward William Osula, hardly the type of players to push the club back into the top four.

The former Bournemouth manager also allowed a few players to leave the club too. Ryan Fraser, Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummet left for nothing, while Yankuba Minteh joined Brighton for a fee of around £30m.

It was the departure of Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest which was the most surprising, however.

With the need to balance the books to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, an offer of £35m was obviously going to help massively.

Howe recently claimed that he didn’t want to part with Anderson, who is now shining with Forest as they have impressed in the Premier League this season.

Elliot Anderson’s stats this season

For the Magpies last year, Anderson made 26 appearances, registering just two assists, yet his future at the club looked bright indeed.

They weren’t the most eye-catching stats, but as he matured and played more often, they would only improve as time went on. Forest are now getting the best out of the Englishman, however.

In 11 Premier League matches under Nuno Espirito Santo, Anderson has already recorded three assists and there will be many more to come, that’s for sure.

Aside from these assists, the 22-year-old has also created four big chances, averages 1.3 key passes and succeeds with 1.4 dribbles – a success rate of 71% – per game in the top flight.

The midfielder also recovers 3.8 balls per game and wins 5.7 total duels per game, showcasing his talents from a defensive viewpoint and this all-round ability has allowed him to star for Forest this term.

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

0

0

Assists

2

3

Big chances created

2

4

Total duels won per game

4

5.7

Key passes per game

0.7

1.3

It is clear that Howe needs to replace the player who left during the summer transfer window. Is he eyeing up a young talent from Germany as an ideal heir for Anderson?

Newcastle transfer news

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are eyeing up a move for Hertha Berlin’s attacking midfielder, Ibrahim Maza.

The German have reportedly set his asking price at around €20 (£17m) as they look set to cash in on the player come January.

The Magpies face competition from fellow Premier League sides such as Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, West Ham United and Brentford.

Newcastle have taken a step further and sent scouts to Hertha’s recent clash against Darmstadt, the only club out of the aforementioned ones to do so.

Transfer Focus

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

This suggests Howe is leading the chase for the youngster as he bids to improve his current squad. A fee of under £20m is also well within his current budget.

Ibrahim Maza’s statistics for Hertha Berlin

The 18-year-old made his senior debut during the 2022/23 campaign, appearing twice in the Bundesliga and even scoring against Wolfsburg on the last day of the season.

Hertha were relegated and spent 2023/24 in the second tier, with Maza making a total of 13 league appearances for the club, registering three goal contributions in the process, and it was clear he was a star in the making.

This has been evidenced by his performances throughout the current season. Not only has Maza featured in all but one of his club’s league clashes this season, but the Algerian has scored four goals and grabbed two assists. Add in another goal in the German Cup and the youngster is on fire.

Hailed as a “wonderkid” by one journalist, Maza – who talent scout Jacek Kulig also described as “one of the most exciting U19s in Germany” – certainly has the world at his feet, for that there is no doubt.

When compared to positional peers within the German second tier, Maza currently ranks in the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and successful take-ons per 90, while also ranking in the top 3% for progressive carries per 90 and in the top 8% for total shots per 90.

These stats show a player who is comfortable at pushing into the final third as often as possible, while also having the confidence to take on opposition defenders with ease during matches.

With Newcastle having a gap to fill due to Anderson’s departure, could the young midfielder fill in this void should he join the club in January?

Why Ibrahim Maza could replace Elliot Anderson

Last season, Anderson only created two big chances while averaging 0.7 key passes per game for the Toon, hardly statistics that got the supporters off their seats.

It was his defensive work that was more promising, with the midfielder making 1.1 tackles and recovering 2.9 balls per game in the Premier League.

The Englishman often played at the heart of the midfield, which meant his creative talents weren’t on show as often as he would have liked. But it is clear Howe needs a player to create plenty of chances for his team going forward and Maza fits the bill.

Defensively this season, Maza has been impressive, showing maturity beyond his 18 years. Indeed, he averages 1.5 tackles per game and has won 5.9 total duels per game – a success rate of 53% – which shows his tenacious nature in the midfield area.

Yes, he may lose possession on average 15.8 times per game, but this is due to the risks he takes pushing forward, which certainly isn’t a bad trait to have.

Maza may still be developing, but Howe could see this transfer as one that might improve his starting XI ahead of the second half of the campaign.

The club have scored just 13 times in the top flight this season, which heightens their need for some more creativity in the final third.

If they can sign the Algerian sensation in January, they could be onto a winner.

Newcastle must regret losing academy ace who's outperforming Gordon in PL

Newcastle lost an academy talent who’s now outperforming Gordon in the Premier League.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 23, 2024

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has urged Myles Lewis-Skelly to 'stay humble' after he mocked Erling Haaland.

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Petit advised Lewis-Skelly to be humbleSlammed youngster for mocking Haaland Arsenal wonderkid picked up a red card against West HamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After going a goal down in the first half against West Ham last weekend, Mikel Arteta introduced Lewis-Skelly in place of Riccardo Calafiori. The Gunners wonderkid, however, lasted a little less than 20 minutes on the pitch as he was shown a direct red card, following a foul on Mohammed Kudus. Ten men Arsenal eventually failed to find an equaliser and dropped crucial three points at home.

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Petit has advised the 18-year-old to remain 'humble' and act more maturely on the pitch. The Frenchman also slammed Lewis-Skelly for mocking Erling Haaland during the Gunners' 5-0 win over Manchester City earlier this month. The Arsenal academy graduate had copied Haaland's celebration, sitting in a meditation pose after scoring his first-ever senior goal against the champions.

WHAT EMMANUEL PETIT SAID

Speaking to , the former Premier League star said: "Myles Lewis-Skelly has to show more maturity and my main piece of advice would be to stay humble. Stay humble, do your talking on the pitch. I’ve been impressed with his performances so far but the mocking of Erling Haaland and Manchester City… come on.

"It’s karma, you need to focus on winning each game and now it’s another red card. How many stupid red cards have Arsenal had this season and even since Mikel Arteta arrived? Arsenal lost to West Ham and the players take the blame alongside Arteta. Arsenal have not been able to show their quality when it matters and although mathematically they can do it, they don’t have the character and the personality for that."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

The North London side will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Nottingham Forest in a crucial Premier League clash away from home.

India’s captain stressed that Kuldeep would need to be given time to get back into his groove following his return from knee surgery

Shashank Kishore05-Feb-20222:17

Rohit Sharma: ‘We don’t want to rush Kuldeep into things’

It’s on Rohit Sharma’s mind to get Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal “back together”, and whenever that happens, give them time to get into their groove. Rohit, who begins his first series as India’s full-time ODI captain, is also mindful of handling “Kuldeep’s situation carefully” as he plots his way back into competitive cricket following knee surgery last October.Kuldeep’s recovery has taken him nearly four months. His rehabilitation coincided with India’s white-ball domestic tournaments in November-December, which means he will be heading into the ODI series against West Indies having barely played any cricket over recent months. India would have held just two training sessions by the time they take the field for the first ODI against West Indies on Sunday.Kuldeep’s only recent outing came in January, when he was part of an exhibition game in Meerut organised by the Uttar Pradesh government, involving several Ranji Trophy players from the state. So, in a sense, Kuldeep will be taking baby steps back from injury after missing the entire IPL 2021.He was left out of the first leg in April 2021 because Kolkata Knight Riders preferred Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery spin, and he withdrew from the second leg once the knee injury came to light in the UAE. In between, he was part of India’s second-string squad that played a limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, where he picked up four wickets in four matches.One of the reasons why Kuldeep and Chahal will perhaps be given the opportunity to rediscover their partnership is because of their past success. Between the end of the 2017 Champions Trophy and the start of the 2019 World Cup, Kuldeep (87 wickets at 21.74) and Chahal (66 wickets at 25.68) were the top two wicket-takers in all ODI cricket.Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav reunite at the India nets•BCCI”They are going to be crucial going forward,” Rohit said ahead of Sunday’s series opener in Ahmedabad. “These two guys have been great performers for us in the past, they’ve certainly created an impact in those years whenever they’ve played together. In the middle why they have been left out was because of combination. We wanted to get an extra batter in, at times we wanted to get an extra seamer in, so that is probably why one of the two have missed out, but it’s certainly on my mind to get them back together, Kuldeep especially.”Rohit emphasised on allowing Kuldeep to “get into his groove” and “find his rhythm” repeatedly, and said the team would give him every opportunity to come into his own, even if he took his time.”He hasn’t played since the IPL, then he got injured and was out since then,” Rohit said. “He hasn’t played a lot of games after that, so we want to get him in slowly. We don’t want to rush into things. It can’t do good for either the team or him. You have to give him some time to come into his groove, to come into his own, and that is going to take a little bit of time. We straightaway don’t want to put him into a situation where we are asking too much of him also. I think for us, it’s important we handle that situation carefully. For us, very important players both of these guys.”Chahal is another curious case. Having been a key white-ball player over the past four years, he has lately found himself at the crossroads, with the team management seemingly prepared to look beyond him. First, they went to Rahul Chahar for thê T20 World Cup. Now, their search for another legspin option has led them to young Ravi Bishnoi. Where Chahal is old-school – he relies on flight, drift and dip – Bishnoi has a quick-arm action, is faster through the air, and gets more bounce.Rohit didn’t go into the specifics of who plays and who doesn’t but touched upon the need to remain consistent in selection, be clear with players about their roles, and give them a long rope.”Chahal obviously played in South Africa, Kuldeep has just come back into the squad now. Obviously, we want to give them an opportunity, but it can happen over the course of time. It just cannot happen suddenly. Kuldeep needs to play a lot of games to get his groove and rhythm back and we do understand that. Keeping everything in mind, we want to move forward and whatever is going to help the team, we will try and take those steps.”

In 1969, at the age of 23, George Best wanted to focus solely on the essentials. Just football, just his job. So he turned his back on his two other great passions, alcohol and women. His sobering conclusion: "It was the worst 20 minutes of my life." A Manchester United legend, that quote sums up Bet's rebellious attitude towards football, and life in general.

Getty ImagesDouble-life

Best was at the height of his career in '69. A year earlier, he had led United to their first European Cup, was the top scorer in England and won the Ballon d'Or.

But as prolific as Best was a producing spectacular dribbles, countless goals and important titles on the pitch, he was just as prominent when it came to partying, drinking and undertaking in affairs off it. At the time, his dazzling double-life as a football star and bon vivant was going well – but it would soon come to an end.

AdvertisementGetty Images'I think I've found a genius'

Best was born in Belfast in 1946 and grew up in a working-class neighbourhood. When he was 15 years old, he was discovered by Manchester United scout Bob Bishop, who wrote to the club's manager, Matt Busby: "I think I've found a genius."

Busby was in the process of building his second great team in Manchester. The first had been torn apart far too early by the tragic Munich air disaster of 1958, but the second achieved greatness. Best made his debut for United in 1963 at the age of 17 and quickly formed the most dangerous attack in the country alongside Denis Law and Bobby Charlton. Dubbed 'The Holy Trinity', Best, Law and Charlton have since been immortalised as statues outside Old Trafford.

United won the league in 1965 and 1967 before, in 1968 – exactly 10 years after Munich – they won their long-awaited first European Cup. Best put United ahead in extra-time in the final against Benfica, which ended in a 4-1 win for Busby's side.

Getty Images'Best I've ever seen'

Best had long been more than just a footballer. His sporting achievements, coupled with his rebellious lifestyle, infamous escapades, long hair and catchphrases, exuded a very special magic. He was one of the world's first football celebrities, 'the fifth Beatle', a true sensation. Emerging from the somewhat socially rigid early-1960s, he, like many rockstars, stood for the dawn of a new era.

"If you gave me the choice between scoring a goal from 40 yards at Anfield or going to bed with Miss World, it would be a tough decision," Best once said. "Luckily, I've done both!" 

Another of his memorable one-liners went: "I spent most of my money on alcohol, women and fast cars. The rest I just squandered!"

Best's rise was rapid, but so was his decline. The European Cup victory proved to be his last major title, as his priorities shifted further and further away from sport and into nightlife. Far too early in his career, football became a secondary concern for Best despite his ridiculous levels of talent.

"The best I've ever seen," said Pele of the Northern Ireland international; Best replied that this praise was the "highest honour of his life".

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Getty ImagesSimply the best

Best would repeatedly turn up drunk for training, and in 1972, United coach Tommy Docherty suspended him. Two years later, at the age of just 27, Best played his final game for United. He then spent 10 years playing for various lower-league teams in England and the United States, with the spotlight now focused on his life off the pitch.

Best's gambling addiction drove him into financial ruin, while his alcohol addiction ruined his health. His marriage failed, as did his ventures as the owner of nightclubs and fashion boutiques. He even spent the Christmas of 1984 in prison after driving while intoxicated before getting into an altercation with a police officer.

In 2002, he received a liver transplant, but continued to drink, and in November 2005, Best died of multiple organ failure at the age of just 57. Around 100,000 people made the pilgrimage to his funeral in Belfast, where the eulogy was given by the then-British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. In Manchester and in his hometown, people still say today: "[Diego] Maradona good, Pele better, George Best."

Both teams are coming off a lean trot in T20Is, but the visitors like the format, while the hosts don’t

Mohammad Isam02-Mar-2022Big pictureAfghanistan will be happy with action shifting to the two-match T20I series that begins in Dhaka on Thursday, but Bangladesh might feel differently; they have started to dread the format in recent times. Bangladesh have lost their last eight T20Is, and although Afghanistan didn’t cover themselves in glory in the T20 World Cup last year, everyone agrees that they love T20s, and they have the personnel for it.This time, Afghanistan have a new-look side after dropping a number of senior cricketers, most notably, Mohammad Shahzad, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan and Hashmatullah Shahidi. They have made way for, among others, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai and Nijat Masood. Asghar Afghan has also retired, which leaves more responsibility on the shoulders of senior pros Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran.With Naveen-ul-Haq also absent, they will also have a new-look pace attack, with Karim Janat and Omarzai in the mix as the allrounders. Their main strength, as always, will be the spin trio of Rashid Khan, Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and now they also have Qais Ahmad, who did well in the BPL.Bangladesh have returned to some of their T20 World Cup players, including Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan. While Shakib was out with an injury recently, Litton was dropped after the World Cup, perhaps unfairly. They will still be without Mushfiqur Rahim though, who’s out of at least the first match with a “contusion of the right thumb”. “He will be under observation of the medical team and will be assessed on Friday before a decision is made regarding his availability for the second and final match of the series,” as per a BCB statement.*The selectors have included Munim Shahriar, the big-hitting opener who made a good first impression in this season’s BPL.But getting rid of Shamim Hossain and Nurul Hasan does seem hasty, given that they were growing into the finishers’ role. That will now go back to Mahmudullah, who would expect Yasir Ali and Afif Hossain to help him out in the last few overs.How Bangladesh shape their pace attack might be interesting too. They may want to look at Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam up front, with Mustafizur Rahman the floater, so to say, to attack Rahmanullah Gurbaz, but that could be at the cost of an extra batter.Form guideBangladesh LLLLL (Last five completed matches; most recent first)
Afghanistan LLWLWAfghanistan’s bowling plans will revolve around Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, as well as Mujeeb Ur Rahman•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the spotlightThe big-hitting Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck his third ODI hundred earlier this week. Gurbaz’s 180.51 strike rate in this season’s PSL adds to Afghanistan’s top-order firepower that already includes Hazratullah Zazai and newcomer Rasooli. Gurbaz prefers to hit the ball down the ground but he has also shown his willingness to launch into pull shots and the square cut.Team newsShakib and Litton will slot into the XI, while Shahriar could make his international debut. Mushfiqur Rahim picked up a finger injury during training on Wednesday and will miss the match. Nurul Hasan* was added to the squad overnight and could come in straightaway.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Litton Das, 2 Munim Shahriar, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Nurul Hasan (wk), 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Yasir Ali, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Nasum Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanRasooli and Omarzai could make their T20I debuts looking at how Afghanistan have been looking at making changes and giving their team a fresh look.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Darwish Rasooli, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Karim Janat, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Fazalhaq Farooqi, 11 Farid AhmedPitch and conditionsIt will be interesting to see if the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s curator Gamini Silva avoids laying out a turner, something he is used to doing even for T20s. Chattogram had a grassy pitch that worked against the Afghanistan spinners, so Dhaka could also go that way. Dry weather is forecast.Stats and trivia Afghanistan have won four of their six T20Is against Bangladesh. Mahmudullah is 29 runs away from becoming the first Bangladesh batter to reach 2000 runs in T20Is. Shakib, who holds the record for most wickets in the format, is 106 runs away from 2000 runs.*