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Former fast bowler accuses board of ‘craven, disingenuous and despicable attempt to rewrite history’

Osman Samiuddin18-Jun-2024

Running Out Racism made public a letter advising that disciplinary proceedings were not being initiated against Blain•Getty Images

Cricket Scotland’s attempts to conclude independent investigations into allegations of racist behaviour have been overshadowed by an escalating row with John Blain, the former Yorkshire and Scotland fast bowler.Blain, who last week declared that he had been “exonerated”of racism allegations dating back to 2007, pre-empted Cricket Scotland’s formal conclusion of the process on Tuesday afternoon by issuing a further statement threatening legal action against the board. He accused Cricket Scotland of “a craven, disingenuous and despicable attempt… to rewrite history a week after I was forced to go public to clear my name.”Blain was sent a letter in January this year by the board in which they said allegations of racism against him had been “unfounded”. The letter, sent by then interim CEO Peter Fitzboydon, was the basis for Blain to go public saying he had been cleared of the allegations and that the investigations “fully exonerate me”.Related

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But a letter sent by Cricket Scotland to one of the complainants against Blain reveals that he has not been exonerated. The letter was made public by Running Out Racism, the anti-racism advocacy group that has been advising complainants through the process. In it the board explain why disciplinary proceedings were not being initiated against Blain but make clear: “This procedural inability to progress these matters to a Conduct in Sport Panel is not a statement of exoneration.”The identity of the complainant has not been made public, but ESPNcricinfo has confirmed and verified with the former player their account of the allegations as well as the letter they received.In its own statement, issued on Tuesday afternoon after Blain’s, Cricket Scotland said that Blain’s cases “were not progressed further due to a combination of insufficient evidence, a lack of an applicable rule at the time of the complaint, and/or a lack of jurisdictional remit or authority to take formal action” – a subtle but clear distinction from its communication of “unfounded” in January.Blain’s case was the only one specifically referred to within Cricket Scotland’s statement. Though the board said it could not comment publicly on the reasons for Fitzboydon to present Blain with the outcome of his cases in the manner that he did, it is believed significant welfare concerns around Blain had been raised at the time Blain confirmed as much, alleging that the board’s “preposterous position now appears to be that they in fact lied to me out of consideration for my welfare!” Blain has previously spoken about the toll the case had taken on his mental health.”This latest Cricket Scotland letter is a desperate attempt to reinvent history and to row back from an unequivocal exoneration,” Blain said, adding that Fitzboydon was not the only CEO to tell him the allegations were “unfounded”.”Not only did Pete Fitzboydon, the CEO of Cricket Scotland, write to me in January to say that all of the claims against me were unfounded, that I had no case to answer, and my case was closed, but that position was clearly confirmed by his successor Trudy Lindblade in a phone call with me in February.”She reiterated on the call that the claims against me were unfounded and the case against me was closed. I am sure that, if asked, she will publicly confirm that to be the case.”Blain said he was now exploring legal options. “I will now confer with my lawyers and take all steps necessary to protect my reputation in light of this extraordinary and unsustainable about-turn.”On Tuesday the board officially closed investigations into the series of referrals stemming from the ‘Changing the Boundaries’ report in 2022 that found Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist. But since Blain went public, pressure had been building on the board to clarify that he had not been exonerated but that the board were unable to progress with disciplinary proceedings against him.Blain’s statement prompted the investigating team to issue the only public utterance they have in two years, in which they made it clear nobody had been exonerated. And in a further illustration of their unhappiness with Blain’s statements, ESPNcricinfo is aware of a letter the investigating team sent to Cricket Scotland strongly urging the board to correct Blain in writing as to the outcomes of complaints against him.That correction appears to have been made, at least in the redacted letter they sent to the complainant, a copy of which is available with ESPNcricinfo.”None of these outcomes take away from the feelings that you have as a result of the incidents you reported, but they do impact on Cricket Scotland’s ability to take formal action,” the letter to the complainant reads.”We are keen to stress that none of the above seeks to undermine the belief that you had regarding the way that you were treated, but sets out the reasons why we will not be bringing disciplinary proceedings against John Blain.”Running Out Racism said the letter confirms “a contradictory account provided by Cricket Scotland to one of the complainants… and demonstrates that the allegations made were not ‘unfounded’, but not investigated due to them not having rules or jurisdiction at the time.”Cricket Scotland has sent communication to complainants and respondents in all the referrals that have now been concluded, including to Blain. He is expected to receive in his letter clarification around the correspondence he was initially sent by Fitzboydon, in which it has been made clear the reasons for disciplinary proceedings not going ahead.The board also apologised once again to all victims of racism and discriminatory behaviour as it concluded what has been a long and complex two-year investigations process. Fifty-three referrals ultimately emerged from the ‘Changing the Boundaries’ report, of which 51 have now been investigated and stand concluded. Two referrals have not begun being investigated for external legal reasons.Only five of the 51 completed referrals have, however, proceeded to disciplinary action. Cricket Scotland said the others had not met the criteria to be taken further, which included not demonstrating “sufficient evidence”, a “clear breach of a rule that had been in place at the time of the offence”, and the “requisite jurisdictional remit to proceed with the case”.The rest of the referrals have concluded with a series of learnings – over 250 – for Cricket Scotland to take on board as it attempts to move on from the central finding of the report that it was institutionally racist.”It is clear that there are no ‘winners’ from this damaging and divisive period for cricket in Scotland,” Lindblade, the current CEO, said in the statement. “Since joining in February this year, I know for a fact that Cricket Scotland has been driven to learn from mistakes of the past to ensure they do not happen again.”The legacy of the referrals process will be the wholesale restructuring of Cricket Scotland for the benefit of all within our sport.”The board has asked complainants to consider seeking mediation as a next step. “It is the Board’s wish that reconciliation and where necessary, independent mediation is accepted by those involved, for the good of individual personal relationships and for the good of the sport in Scotland,” said the Cricket Scotland chair Wilf Walsh.

The 2025/26 season that’s soon on the horizon for Newcastle United looks to be another exciting one.

Eddie Howe’s Toon will find themselves back amongst Europe’s elite in the Champions League, with the hope they can compete for more silverware too after breaking their trophy hoodoo last season when lifting the EFL Cup at Liverpool’s expense.

To boost their chances of a similarly successful 25/26, therefore, Howe will know he needs to be backed in the chaotic transfer market, with this attacking star one potential addition that would surely enliven the St James’ masses ahead of the action kicking off.

Newcastle remain interested in move for Premier League winger

The Toon have been lining up a number of attackers this summer with talks reportedly due to take place to sign Joao Pedro from Brighton.

Another target is Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford, who after an impressive loan spell at Aston Villa, is now set to leave Old Trafford behind permanently.

However, to put that move to one side, as per a report from TEAMTalk, Newcastle remain interested in adding Nottingham Forest ace Anthony Elanga to their camp this summer, with a shock swap deal even potentially on the cards.

Indeed, the report elaborates that with the Magpies ‘stepping up their interest’ in the winger, they could be set to offer Harvey Barnes to Forest to smooth over proceedings.

Barnes’ inclusion in the deal would bring down the £50m valuation of the ex-Manchester United forward’s price tag.

Elanga could also be tempted to make the switch with the allure of Champions League football presumably a pull, with Howe also desperate to land the Sweden international as he hunts down pacey, new options to enhance his attacking personnel.

Why Elanga would be a better buy than Rashford

Snapping up the services of Elanga would surely mean the Magpies wouldn’t have to go back in for another of their attacking targets like Rashford, considering the 23-year-old is now surely viewed as an upgrade on his former Red Devils teammate after his blistering couple of campaigns at the City Ground, compared to Rashford’s up-and-down time of things.

After all, if it’s pace Howe wants in abundance, he will strike gold by picking up Elanga, with this unbelievable breakaway goal last season seeing him leave many a United shirt in the dust, before punishing his former employers even more with a clinical finish.

For good measure, he was one of the quickest players in the top flight of English football last season too.

The fastest & slowest players in the Premier League (2024/25)

Off the back of such counter-attacking magic, Elanga would rightfully describe himself as “one of the fastest players in the PL”, with the standout Swede thankfully backing up these rampaging forays more often than not with a meaningful strike or an assist.

Elanga’s PL numbers (24/25) vs Rashford’s (24/25)

Stat

Elanga

Rashford

Games played

38

25

Goals scored

6

6

Assists

11

3

Big chances missed

6

5

Big chances created

9

8

Stats by Sofascore

Whilst Rashford did shine away from Old Trafford last season on the temporary books of Villa, it’s also clear from the numbers that Elanga would be the better pick-up, with the 5-foot-10 winger far less jaded by the top-flight than the United outcast, registering a far greater goal contribution number of 17 last season, next to Rashford’s lesser nine.

On top of that, Elanga also has the added boost of 14 more goals and assists donning Forest red from the season before, as Rashford’s spell at the Swede’s former employers began to fall apart.

Moreover, unlike Rashford who is predominantly an out-and-out left winger, the Forest speedster would be able to offer Howe an option down either flank if needed, with the £50m-rated target up to 63 career games now as a right winger, on top of also tallying up 55 down the left.

Further lauded as “special” by Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, this could well be the platform the winger desires now to strut his stuff in the Champions League and beyond.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 20, 2025

They might be lagging behind their rivals in the market at the moment, but it feels like things are finally starting to pick up for Arsenal.

The Premier League runners-up look set to secure the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga for just £5m in the coming days, and more exciting than that, Martin Zubimendi’s move is finally almost wrapped up.

Moreover, Mikel Arteta’s side continue to see themselves linked with the utterly superb Rodrygo, who could be a serious needle-mover in attack.

And now, if recent reports are to be believed, the club are linked with a Premier League star who would be a dream teammate for the Real Madrid winger.

Arsenal plotting attack overhaul

The sagas around Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres might be what’s being talked about most regarding Arsenal this summer, but just behind them, the links to Rodrygo have been exciting fans.

Transfer Focus

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

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While the first links to the Brazilian winger originated last year, the more substantive stories started to spring up early last month, with some claiming that approaches had been made and fees of around £85m being banded about.

In recent days, the supposed fee needed to secure the former Santos gem has dropped ever so slightly to anywhere from £70m in some cases to £77m in others, and for a Champions League winner who’s racked up 25 goal involvements in 52 games this season, that doesn’t seem too bad.

In short, it’s hard to imagine Rodrygo joining Arteta’s side this summer and not making a massive difference next season, especially if the North Londoners are also keen on Eberechi Eze.

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, the Crystal Palace star is eager to leave the South London outfit, and his camp has been in discussions with several teams, including Arsenal.

However, there are two potential obstacles to this deal, the first being his £68m release clause and the second being the fact that the player supposedly wants to join Tottenham Hotspur.

With that said, the Gunners have shown a willingness to spend big in the past, and if they went all out for the Englishman and showed him where he’d fit in, we don’t doubt they could hijack the Lilywhites’ potential deal. After all, they will be challenging on all fronts again next year.

It will be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but it’s one Arsenal should be fighting to get done, as Eze would be an excellent addition to the squad and a dream teammate for Rodrygo.

Why Eze would be an excellent teammate for Rodrygo

Fundamentally, the primary reason Eze would be a dream teammate for Rodrygo is the same reason why Bukayo Saka and whoever leads the line for Arsenal next season will also love playing with him: his output.

In 43 appearances for Palace this season, totalling 3303 minutes, the Englishman was able to amass a brilliant haul of 14 goals and 11 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

Just imagine how dangerous the Real Madrid star could be with someone as adept at scoring and creating chances behind him in the number ten position.

It would surely send his own goal and assist numbers soaring.

Additionally, the Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, would be a serious upgrade on Martin Odegaard, who was only able to score six goals and provide 12 assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3447 minutes, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games, or every 191.5 minutes.

Eze vs Odegaard

Players

Eze

Odegaard

Appearances

43

45

Minutes

3303′

3447′

Goals

14

6

Assists

11

12

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.4

Minutes per Goal Involvement

132.12′

191.5′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Furthermore, on top of being a reliable source of goals and assists, the former QPR star is also a player who tends to favour the left-hand side of midfield – as we can see in his heatmap for this season – so he’d be playing reasonably close to the Brazilian and therefore could form an even closer partnership with him – to the benefit of both.

Ultimately, Rodrygo would be a game-changing signing for Arsenal this summer, but if Arteta and Co want to help extract even more out of him – and the rest of the attack, for that matter – they should be looking to bring in Eze as well.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 25, 2025

Australia lost to India in St Lucia, and are now left hoping that Bangladesh beat Afghanistan but don’t surpass them on NRR

Matt Roller24-Jun-20241:45

Manrjekar: Head’s knock arguably the best of the tournament

Australia’s bid to become the first team to hold the World Test Championship, 50-over World Cup and T20 World Cup titles simultaneously is hanging by a thread, and relies on Bangladesh beating Afghanistan in St Vincent on Monday night. Even then, Bangladesh’s margin of victory cannot be too big – otherwise they will progress at Australia’s expense.After five consecutive wins to start the tournament, Australia were beaten by Afghanistan on Saturday night and were then caught cold by India on Monday morning in St Lucia. They dragged things back after Rohit Sharma’s onslaught, but still fell short in their attempt to chase down 206, leaving Mitchell Marsh to simply joke: “Come on, Bangladesh.”Travis Head, who top-scored in the run chase with 76, said the prospect of elimination felt “raw” immediately after the defeat, while Josh Hazlewood called it a “strange” feeling.Related

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“You’ve got to wait until late tonight to find out,” Hazlewood said. “We obviously can’t do anything else than what we’ve done, and we’re hoping that Bangladesh can get the job done.”Australia’s squad plans to watch the game together at their team hotel in Rodney Bay Marina, but face a long wait to find out their fate.”It would be nice for it to start at 1pm, but 8.30pm is pretty late to sort of wait on pins and needles,” Hazlewood said. “I assume we’ll be pretty much together watching that game, and hoping for the best.”It has been a sudden reversal for Australia at this World Cup: on Saturday afternoon, they looked well-placed to qualify for the semi-final but, 48 hours later are on the brink of elimination. They were the only team in the Super Eight phase to play a night match, travel the following day and then play a morning game, but refused to blame the schedule.”We knew it was coming,” Head said. “Everyone did what they needed to do, and I think we played a very good cricket team today. I felt like we were pretty good for 90% of it. Seeing how the guys came out, the energy this morning, I don’t think you can look too much into it. It’s what it is. We knew it was coming, so you deal with it.”Josh Hazlewood cited tight turnarounds as a contributing factor to Australia’s sloppy fielding•ICC/Getty Images

However, Hazlewood did cite tight turnarounds as a contributing factor to Australia’s sloppy fielding. “The guys are always working as hard as ever on their fielding at training, but there might not be as many opportunities to work on it at these tournaments,” he said. “You’re always travelling and playing. But it hasn’t been good enough for the last few games in particular.”Hazlewood also suggested that the breaks between Super Eight games could have been longer. “You could just balance them out with similar breaks. I can understand they want to create hype during the Super Eights and get a lot of games back-to-back,” he said. “It all comes to a head pretty quickly with a lot of eyes on it. But I think every tournament can be improved when you look back at it, so no doubt this one will be the same.”He said that the prospect of a “cut-throat” elimination was simply the nature of T20 World Cups. “I remember the last two World Cups: we probably had one bad day in each one, and we won one and didn’t make the semis in the other. It’s pretty cut-throat. I definitely like the new format, how you get a bit more of a run at it. It’s not sudden-death straight off.”But even South Africa, if they lost last night, they were out basically – so that could be how cut-throat it is. They win six games in a row, lose one and they’re out. I guess that’s the nature of T20 as well: you’ve got to be on your game every day that you turn up. It’s disappointing, but who knows what happens tonight?”It is not uncommon in T20 leagues for teams to watch other matches knowing that they are relying on a certain result. Both Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell were part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad in 2022 that qualified for the IPL knockouts, thanks to Tim David leading Mumbai Indians to a win which eliminated Delhi Capitals at RCB’s expense.But Hazlewood said that it was not something he had experienced before while playing for Australia. “I think it’s a first for me: maybe in an IPL, but never for international cricket,” he said. “It’s a strange one.”

Every passing day at St. Andrew’s seems to throw up another gigantic transfer rumour involving Birmingham City.

This time, Bright Osayi-Samuel is the main name being linked with an ambitious switch to the West Midlands. The Blues are allegedly closing in on a deal to land the ex-Fenerbahce man on a free transfer, as per journalist Mike McGrath.

The non-stop rumour mill is unlikely to grind to a halt here when it comes to dishing out notable figures who could soon call Chris Davies’ side home, with plenty of other EFL-ready stars tipped to relocate to the Blues very soon.

Latest on Birmingham's transfer search

Having spent £15m just on Jay Stansfield alone last season when plying their trade in League One, it’s not the greatest shock in the world to see Birmingham flexing their muscles once more in terms of incoming signings.

Indeed, the mega-rich Blues are reportedly close to adding both Tommy Doyle and Demarai Gray to their expanding camp, with reports even suggesting that the Birmingham-born winger could cost around £8m to obtain.

Joining the aforementioned trio through the door very shortly could also be Kieran Dowell, with an exclusive report from GIVEMESPORT stating that a proposal has been made on the end of the newly promoted side to bring their former loanee back to St. Andrew’s.

However, it’s stated that this proposal is up in the air at the moment as new Rangers boss Russell Martin continues to assess whether Dowell is part of his long-term Ibrox plans or not.

With Ben Davies also on their agenda, according to GIVEMESPORT, it’s clear that adding in Championship experience by the bucket load is a huge priority, as Birmingham navigate the treacherous, but thrilling step back up to the second tier.

In Dowell, the Blues might well be winning themselves another adaptable and exciting presence at the level that’s very similar to Osayi-Samuel, as both potential new signings aim to help Birmingham soar to even greater heights in their fresh surroundings.

Why Dowell can be another Osayi-Samuel

Last season was a clear example for all those watching on at St. Andrew’s that the 27-year-old attacking midfielder is an accomplished performer in the EFL, as seen in his five goals and four assists from just 19 League One runouts.

Amazingly, he should only up his performance standards if he sticks it out for Birmingham’s move up to the Championship, with fans of clubs such as Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, and Wigan Athletic knowing all too well what the former England U21 international is about at the intimidating level.

In total, playing for those myriad clubs in the Championship, Dowell has managed to tally up a mightily impressive 26 goals and 12 assists from 123 clashes, with Osayi-Samuel not lagging too far behind with his own hefty output.

Indeed, the soon-to-be Birmingham presence can boast his own healthy total of 23 goals and assists across 109 Championship games, with the correlations between the seasoned pair not just ending there, as seen in their similar abilities to line up for their team across various positions if needed.

Dowell’s career numbers by position

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

AM

120

31

12

RM

50

9

10

CM

25

2

1

RW

19

7

5

LM

17

2

1

SS

2

0

0

LW

1

0

0

DM

1

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Across the ex-Queens Park Rangers man’s varied career to date, he has staggeringly lined up in ten different spots on the field, with a makeshift striker role even being taken up by the Nigeria international on occasion.

Dowell can show off the same levels of flexibility when looking at the table above, with the one-time Championship title winner more than capable of playing down the left or right wing, away from excelling as a number ten.

Even hailed as a “high-quality” performer by Davies last season, it does feel as if Dowell would jump at the opportunity to return to such a familiar stomping ground in the second tier, particularly after a challenging Rangers spell.

Both Dowell and Osayi-Samuel joining the Blues camp would show that the newly promoted side means business heading up a league, with another promotion not the craziest shout if everything clicks into place.

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Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson Jun 30, 2025

فاز منتخب مصر الثاني المقرر مشاركته في بطولة كأس العرب، على تونس، بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، في المباراة الودية التي أقيمت بينهما يوم الثلاثاء.

ولعب منتخب مصر ضد تونس، على ملعب هيئة استاد السويس، وديًا، في إطار الاستعدادات للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

وسجل هدف منتخب مصر الأول، اللاعب يحيى زكريا الظهير الأيسر بتسديدة يسارية قوية من على حدود منطقة الجزاء، في الدقيقة السادسة.

وأضاف الهدف الثاني، اللاعب مصطفى سعد ميسي بتسديدة رائعة من داخل منطقة الجزاء عند الدقيقة 18، واختتم الثلاثية ميدو جابر في الدقيقة 66 بتصويبة قوية.

طالع.. فيديو | يحيى زكريا يسجل هدف مصر الأول أمام تونس أهداف مباراة مصر وتونس وديًا 3-0

وبذلك يختتم منتخب مصر الثاني بقيادة حلمي طولان، معسكره الحالي، الذي أقيم من الفترة من 1 حتى 9 من شهر سبتمبر الجاري.

وخاض منتخب مصر مباراة أولى مع تونس، وذلك يوم السبت الماضي، وفاز أيضًا بنتيجة هدف دون رد، سجله محمد مجدي أفشة.

يذكر أن بطولة كأس العرب، في قطر ستنطلق في الأول من شهر ديسمبر المقبل، وأسفرت القرعة عن تواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة مع منتخبات الأردن والإمارات والفائز من (الكويت ضد موريتانيا).

Australian allrounder follows 63 not out with 4 for 11 in 82-run hammering at The Oval

ECB Media02-Aug-2024

Annabel Sutherland followed up her 63* with a 4 for 11 to give Northern Superchargers their first win of the season•ECB via Getty Images

Annabel Sutherland inspired Northern Superchargers to their first victory of the Hundred with a sterling all-round performance at The Kia Oval.The powerful Australian made 63 from 40 balls to take her team to an imposing total of 146 for 4, before taking 4 for 11 with the ball to wrap up the win. Her four wickets were all clean bowled, and came from the last six balls of the match to ensure it was a game very much defined by her abilities.After a loss and a tie, Sutherland’s heroics provided Hollie Armitage’s team with their first win of the campaign and further opened up the table in a year that has seeing every team lose at least once.”It is so nice to get a win on the board,” Sutherland. “I don’t think we were that far off last game with the tie. We’ve felt pretty good as a group. We’ve bowled very well, we just haven’t quite put it together with the bat, so it was nice to do it out there.”Needing a win, Davina Perrin set the tone for the Superchargers with two early boundaries – and though her stay was a short one, caught superbly by Amanda-Jade Wellington off the bowling of Rachel Slater, her aggression gave an indication of what was to come from the visitors.Phoebe Litchfield took on the mantle, backed up by England wicket-keeper Bess Heath, but it was Sutherland’s innings – featuring three long-levered sixes into the sun-drenched crowd – that stood out.Oval Invincibles’ 100 per cent record in the competition so far would have given them hope of chasing down Superchargers’ 146, and so too would the introduction of Chamari Athapaththu, the Sri Lankan skipper making her first appearance in this year’s competition after her country’s Asia Cup success.But Athapaththu wasn’t to last long, dismissed on the 20th ball of the innings, caught smartly by Kate Cross off the bowling off Linsey Smith. Two balls later, Invincibles were five down when Cross bowled Mady Villiers, the second of her two wickets having earlier trapped Winfield-Hill in front.Smith also accounted for Alice Capsey, with Marizanne Kapp undone by a run-out, and at 23 for 5 the contest was as good as done.Paige Scholfield and Wellington re-built for Invincibles, without ever threatening Superchargers’ total, and then Sutherland returned to take four in six and put Superchargers on the board.

Glasgow Rangers have used the loan system to great effect in recent seasons and are currently looking for a player to replace their latest loan success, Vaclav Cerny.

The winger spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Ibrox, and caught the eye with his impressive performances on the right flank for Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson’s side.

Cerny, 27, ended the Scottish Premiership season with an excellent haul of 12 goals and four assists for Rangers, which shows that he offered a threat in the final third on a regular basis.

It was the latest example of the Light Blues’ excellent use of the loan market, and there have been plenty of other great examples over the years, going all the way back to the signing of Ryan Kent on loan under Steven Gerrard.

More recently, though, the Light Blues snapped up a promising talent from a Premier League club by signing Abdallah Sima on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, in a deal that was another big success.

Rangers hit gold with Abdallah Sima

In the summer of 2023, the Gers swooped to sign the versatile attacker on a season long-loan from Brighton, but they did not include an option to make the deal permanent the following summer.

Despite only having the Senegal international on loan for one season, Rangers will surely look back on his time at Ibrox as a success due to his quality on the pitch.

As you can see in the graphic above, Sima ended his time in Glasgow with a return of 16 goals and two assists in 39 games, which shows that he posed a big threat as a goalscorer.

The 24-year-old star also started the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, and the final of the League Cup as Rangers won the competition, scoring in the quarter-final against Livingston.

24/25 Premiership

Abdallah Sima

Appearances

25

Starts

17

Goals

11

Big chances created

2

Assists

2

Dribbles completed per game

1.2

Duels won per game

6.4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Sima was particularly prolific in the Premiership, despite injuries limiting his minutes, as he scored 11 goals in 17 starts in the division for Michael Beale and Philippe Clement.

The right-footed forward hit the ground running in Scottish football and proved to be a reliable forward who was depended on by both managers that season.

Overall, it was a brilliant deal for Rangers because they had a high-quality player who made a big impact on the pitch and helped the team to win a trophy, without having to pay a transfer fee for him.

Rangers eyeing move for Brighton talent

The Light Blues could repeat that Sima blinder by signing another young star on loan from Brighton this summer, amid interest in one of their current crop of talents.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to Football Insider, Rangers are interested in a deal to sign Brighton’s young English goalkeeper Carl Rushworth on a season-long loan to bolster Russell Martin’s squad.

The report claims that the Light Blues are ‘accelerating’ their efforts to bring in a new shot-stopper to improve the team, as they look for competition for Jack Butland and Liam Kelly.

Carl Rushworth

Football Insider adds that Rangers are working to agree a deal for Rushworth this week, although it remains to be seen if they will be able to wrap up a move before the 17th July deadline for the Champions League squad to face Panathinaikos later this month.

The outlet reveals that the Gers would like to replace Butland and that the Brighton youngster is looking for a club where he can play regular football again.

Why Carl Rushworth would be an Abdallah Sima repeat for Rangers

Rangers would repeat their Sima masterclass with Rushworth because he would be another young loanee from Brighton who could arrive to make an instant impact at Ibrox as a key player on the pitch.

In the 2024/25 campaign, Butland conceded 2.22 more goals than expected based on the xG of the shots against his goal in the Premiership, which shows that he underperformed as a shot-stopper.

Rushworth only played two games on loan at Hull, as they preferred their permanent number one option, but his form on loan at Swansea in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign suggests that he has the potential to come in as an upgrade on Butland.

In that season with the Swans, the former England U21 international started all 46 league games and caught the eye by preventing 4.02 goals (xG) between the sticks, which shows that he could be a better shot-stopper than the current Gers number one based on the quality of his shot-stopping that term.

It was his all-round game in that season for the Welsh side, though, that really suggests that Rangers could find their next Sima success by raiding Brighton for another young gem on loan.

23/24 Championship

Carl Rushworth per 90

Percentile rank vs GKs

Post-shot xG minus goals conceded

+0.12

Top 14%

Save percentage

70.9%

Top 22%

Touches

50.48

Top 6%

Percentage of passes that were launched long

31.8%

Bottom 49%

Defensive actions outside of the box

1.39

Top 29%

Average distance of defensive actions

16.3 yards

Top 26%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Rushworth is a modern goalkeeper who can act as a sweeper behind the defence as well as being comfortable and composed in possession, taking plenty of touches without launching it long very often.

These statistics suggest that the left-footed star, who was hailed as “fearless” by former boss Matt Taylor, would suit Martin’s ball-dominant style of play, as he will need to be competent at drawing in a press and playing around it, rather than constantly launching the ball long.

Factor in that his shot-stopping form for Swansea suggests that he could be even better than Butland with his hands and the potential is there for Rushworth to be the dream all-round goalkeeper for Rangers.

This is why he could be a Sima repeat because the 24-year-old titan could step in and instantly be the best option to be the number one for Martin, hopefully helping the team to achieve success on the pitch next season, if they can land him on loan.

Related As important as Raskin: Rangers receive bid to sell "vintage" Ibrox star

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Posts ByDan Emery Jul 14, 2025

He helped Australia pille up 196 before Scotland were bowled out for 126 with Stoinis and Green picking up a combined 6 for 39

Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Sep-2024

Josh Inglis smashed the fastest T20I century by an Australia batter•SNS Group/Getty Images

In conditions where every other batter from both sides struggled for timing, Josh Inglis struck the ball with remarkable fluency on his way to the fastest T20I hundred by an Australia batter. He brought up the milestone in 43 balls, beating the previous record – held jointly by himself, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell – by four balls, and finished with 103 off 49.To put the innings in context, the rest of Australia’s top six scored 89 off 73 balls between them. His innings laid the foundation of Australia’s 70-run win over Scotland and also helped them take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Sent in, Australia set Scotland 197 to draw level after their shellacking in Wednesday’s series-opener. The home side had their moments in the chase, particularly during a 42-ball 59 from Brandon McMullen, but they could never quite keep up with the asking rate. On an occasionally two-paced pitch that offered a bit of seam movement, Australia’s seamers used their height advantage expertly, bowling hard lengths and extracting every ounce of help they could find.Scotland managed the odd spurt of quick scoring – George Munsey whipped Xavier Bartlett for two leg-side sixes in the first over, and McMullen used his feet against the quicks and hit four sixes, the pick of them a front-foot pull over wide long-on off Aaron Hardie – but Australia kept chipping out regular wickets, bowling into the pitch and inducing miscues.When Sean Abbott employed this modus operandi to end McMullen’s charge in the 13th over, the contest was all but over. From there, the end was swift, with Scotland losing their last six wickets for just 20 runs and being bowled out for 126 in 16.4 overs.Take Inglis away, and Australia didn’t do a whole lot better with the bat. Jake Fraser-McGurk, who had fallen for a duck on T20I debut on Wednesday, got off the mark in the format with a first-ball four. But he struggled to middle the ball – and often failed to connect – as his aim-for-the-grandstand methods proved unsuitable for the conditions, particularly against McMullen’s nibbly new-ball medium-pace.Marcus Stoinis picked up 4 for 23 with his medium pace•AFP/Getty Images

He fell for a run-a-ball 16, and Travis Head, who had battered Scotland for 80 off 25 in the first T20I, was out for a first-ball duck, bowled by a peach of an inducker from left-arm quick Brad Currie. Currie was one of five players in Scotland’s XI who hadn’t played on Wednesday.Three of the incomers were bowlers, and the revamped attack continued to make the Australia batters not named Inglis work for their runs. Cameron Green scratched his way to 36 off 29, and Marcus Stoinis finished with an unbeaten 20 off 20. They would eventually have their revenge with the ball, picking up a combined 6 for 39 in 5.4 overs.Inglis, though, seemed to bat on another pitch, against another attack. Where his team-mates seemed to lack options if they were denied room to free their arms, Inglis kept finding the boundary by means of quick feet and quicker hands. He manipulated the field expertly with his movements around the crease and his use of the scoop and reverse-scoop. When the Scotland bowlers tried to cramp him by going short and into his body, he generated incredible bat-speed through his short-arm whips and pulls.Despite this, Australia had only got to 179 when Chris Sole ended Inglis’ innings in the 19th over. Sole, introduced only in the 11th over and bowling just three overs, was perhaps Scotland’s best bowler on the day, quicker than his colleagues and as a result more impactful when he used his pace variations.In the end, Australia got close to 200 thanks to a cameo from Tim David, who clubbed the first two balls of the final over, bowled by Brad Wheal, for six, the second one soaring well beyond the midwicket boundary and landing outside the ground.

واصل ليفربول سلسلة انتصاراته في الدوري الإنجليزي بالفوز ضد بيرنلي في الوقت القاتل خلال اللقاء الذي جمع بينهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وسجل ليفربول هدفه الوحيد في المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين على ملعب “تورف مور” عن طريق النجم المصري محمد صلاح من ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 95.

وقد ارتفع رصيد ليفربول إلى 12 نقطة في صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما توقف رصيد بيرنلي عند النقطة الثالثة في المركز السابع عشر. ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وبيرنلي

وكان محمد صلاح قد استمر طوال الـ90 دقيقة مع ليفربول، ولكنه اصطدم مع زملائه في ليفربول بدفاعات حصينة من جانب الفريق المضيف بيرنلي على ملعبه ووسط جماهيره.

اقرأ أيضاً.. محمد صلاح يوجه رسالة بشأن صفقات ليفربول بعد الفوز على بيرنلي

وفيما يلي جاءت أبرز ردود الفعل عبر منصة “إكس” على قيادة محمد صلاح لفريقه ليفربول لتحقيق الفوز الرابع على التوالي:

“نعم، أيها الملك المصري”

Yessssssss!!! The Egyptian king 👑👑👑👑👑 — CEEJAY 🇧🇪 (@Cookey_jay) September 14, 2025

“ملك”

King — Mooh (@M__Zubayr) September 14, 2025

“صلاح للكرة الذهبية، من يقول لا؟”

Salah for ballon d or
who says no pic.twitter.com/28mZ4Vm9UG — Nony ❄️ (@sir_nony) September 14, 2025

“صلاح أنقذ يومنا”

Salah saved the day — Aяѕн Rαтнod 😉 (@OfficialHarsha7) September 14, 2025

“الملك المصري دائماً ما يجد طريقة لمساعدة ليفربول على الفوز، 4 مباريات 12 نقطة”

Egyptian King always finds a way to win it for Liverpool

4 games
12 points

LFG 💪 — Anfield Crest (@AnfieldCrest) September 14, 2025

“صلاح هو أفضل لاعب شهده الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز منذ فترة طويلة جداً”

Salah is the best player the EPL has witnessed in a very long time. pic.twitter.com/9oJyeevi1V — Wins (@WinsLFC) September 14, 2025

“إنه أسطورة بالفعل”

He is indeed a legend — Sun6ix (@web3Sun6ix) September 14, 2025

“صلاح ملك مصر، الرجل الذي ينقذ ليفربول من الخسارة”

Salah The Egyptian King 👑✨🔥🔥🔥

The Man who keeps Bailing Liverpool Out — LordPetroleum 👑 (@dev_lover0) September 14, 2025

“كنت أعلم أن صلاح سيسجل”

I knew he was going to score — Pee✌️💜 (@Peechuk01) September 14, 2025

“مدهش لصاحب الموسم الواحد”

Amazing for a one season wonder — Dan (@barker316) September 14, 2025