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The selection of Michael Beer makes little sense, for he is neither a local with vast experience of the WACA, nor the best spinner in the country

Brydon Coverdale10-Dec-2010There was more than a whiff of desperation in Australia’s selection of Michael Beer for the Perth Test. And although the suggestion that Shane Warne should come out of retirement is fanciful, Warne’s fingerprints are all over the strange choice of Beer, whom he recommended in his column on Wednesday, and who, like Warne, also learnt his game in grade cricket with the Melbourne club, St Kilda.If Beer plays, he’ll be the tenth Australian Test spinner since the retirement of Warne. Chances are Beer will be capped, shipped off the production line and lapped up by England batsmen still thirsty for more runs. Or maybe he’ll be put on ice before Perth, which would be a far more sensible option.Three weeks ago, the only beer anyone would have expected to see in Australia’s dressing rooms was the cases of bitter provided by the sponsors on the final day. Nathan Hauritz was the Test incumbent, Steve O’Keefe and Steven Smith were playing for Australia A, and Xavier Doherty was still to enter the picture.Now, Doherty has been tried and discarded, Hauritz has been wrongly ignored despite strong state form, and the left-arm orthodox O’Keefe, despite bowling well against England for Australia A and being a good lower-order batsman, has fallen out of the mix. Had Warne not suggested Beer, would he even have been considered?Which raises the question, how much does Warne know about Beer? In his column, Warne wrote that “maybe you get a local guy who knows the Perth conditions”, yet as Beer’s St Kilda roots suggest, he is about as local to Western Australia as Warne.Beer moved to Perth less than a year ago and has played only three first-class games at the WACA, where the sea breeze can help or hinder spinners with equal measure. In his most recent match there, Beer took match figures of 3 for 139 against New South Wales, whose rejected Australian spinner, Hauritz, collected 7 for 104.Maybe the selectors have seen something special from Beer, like when Peter Taylor was plucked from obscurity 24 years ago and bowled Australia to victory in an Ashes Test at the SCG. But is this the same “something special” they have seen in Beau Casson, Cameron White, Jason Krejza, Doherty and others over the past three years?When they are choosing a spinner, the selectors seem not to ask who is the best slow bowler in the country, but rather “who haven’t we tried yet?” O’Keefe, Cameron Boyce, Jon Holland, Aaron O’Brien and Cullen Bailey should probably keep their phones handy over the next few months. Perhaps they simply wanted someone to keep the pressure on Smith, who is also in the 12-man squad and is certain to play at the WACA.Smith must be in the XI because Marcus North has been dropped, and no other batsman was picked. Brad Haddin has been in strong enough form to move up to No. 6 with Smith as an all-round option at No. 7. It’s a brave selection, and Smith should add some spark to the side – in the field and with the bat, while being a serviceable bowling option.North’s up-and-down form meant he had to go; a No. 6 who cannot be relied upon in tough circumstances is no man for an Ashes campaign. Callum Ferguson can consider himself unlucky to have been overlooked having scored 131 in the Sheffield Shield on the day the squad was announced, his second hundred in three games this summer.The inclusion of Smith leaves the selectors to choose between a four-man pace attack, or three fast bowlers with Beer as a second spinner. And for all Smith’s flaws as a bowler, it makes no sense to play both him and Beer at the WACA. Ben Hilfenhaus, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson, who can slide back in as a fourth fast man used in short, sharp spells, is the way to go.Doug Bollinger’s fitness is an issue, as well as his poor form at Adelaide Oval, and like Doherty and North, his axing was justified. The easiest decision was to bring in Phillip Hughes to replace the injured Simon Katich, despite Hughes being found out against the short ball in England last year, and making scores of 4 and 0 for against South Australia in the recently concluded match at the SCG.He may not be in career-best form, but nor are any of the other openers in state cricket. Choosing anyone but Hughes would have sent another message of desperation, and one such whiff was enough in this squad.

Yousuf Youhana’s conversion to Islam and a new identity – Mohammad Yousuf – illustrates the growing phenomenon of faith within the Pakistan team

Osman Samiuddin23-Sep-2005

During India’s tour to Pakistan last year, an Indian journalist asked an ex-player from the `80s with as much flippancy as seriousness why, in his time, Pakistan players didn’t feel the urge to exhibit their faith as openly as current members did. Having been tickled by a stream of pre- and post-match comments littered with traditional Islamic salutations and on-field celebrations of landmarks with a sajda (kneeling down in Muslim prayer), the query was justified. Suitably, the reply was simultaneously glib and revealing: “Clearly we weren’t good Muslims.”Certainly during his time and periods preceding it, public displays of religiosity at least (not its private practice) were absent. At one defining moment in its recent history, when Javed Miandad struck a leg-side full toss for six in Sharjah, Pakistan cricket had no overt religious commemoration of the event. Instead, Miandad and non-striker Tauseef Ahmed dashed off wildly, arms akimbo, as natural and impulsive a celebration as you could imagine.Six years later, at arguably a greater epochal moment in Melbourne, a handful of players knelt in sajda and offered thanks for winning the World Cup. Today, if you talk to any cricketer, on or off the record, replies will begin with and be bookended by a bismillah (“In the name of Allah” – it is a traditional recitation at the start of any Muslim act) or inshallah (“God Willing”). And now, with Yousuf Youhana’s conversion to Islam and a new identity – Mohammad Yousuf – the growing phenomenon of faith within the team finds its most intriguing example.It is difficult to say with any certainty how or why this gradual change has come about. Superficially, we can pinpoint key actors and factors. Saeed Anwar, after the traumatic death of his young daughter, turned to religion and spirituality and took to the Tableeghi Jamaat (missionaries), who practise a stricter adherence to the codes of Islam than most. Anwar’s influence spread among senior players such as Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq and the group travel together regularly to Raiwind, a small town near Lahore, where the Tableeghis congregate for prayer and dialogue.Yousuf’s revelation that he had actually converted some time ago adds further credence to the theory that Anwar’s role has been crucial. Three years ago, during the World Cup, there were persistent rumours that he had converted under Anwar’s influence.Maybe too, in the spectre of match-fixing, there lies a compulsion towards religion. Sharda Ugra, senior editor with India Today, suggested in an article on the subject last year during India’s tour to Pakistan that “the post-match-fixing generation in Pakistan cricket is grappling with a `double burden’; as sportsmen not only are they under scrutiny for their professional conduct, they have also become characters in a public morality play, always vulnerable to being accused of match-fixing should they fail.”Tellingly, when Salim Malik was first accused by Rashid Latif and Basit Ali of match-fixing during the African jaunt of 1994-95, almost the first thing manager Intikhab Alam asked him to do was swear on the Quran that he wasn’t guilty of any such deed.

But for younger or newer members of the team, who haven’t played with Anwar, scouring for the roots of their religiosity is a more difficult proposition. To an extent, conformism and peer pressure play a part. But a broad, not infallible, argument can also be drawn: as the socioeconomic and geographic composition of the team has altered so too has the inclination of the team towards religion.Where once the national team was sourced in large part of players from the metropolises of Karachi and Lahore, and where the leading figures were urbane and rounded personalities such as Asif Iqbal, Majid Khan and Imran Khan, this is no longer the case. In Pakistan’s last Test match, against the West Indies, only four members of the team were born in Lahore or Karachi.There will be some who will argue that in smaller towns, such as Sialkot and Sheikhupura, religion perhaps holds a greater significance in people’s lives than it does in Karachi or Lahore. Levels of education are poorer, fewer people are literate and because awareness is generally low, religious beliefs, orthodox and otherwise, assume an enhanced importance. Abdul Razzaq’s mysterious illness and dizzy spells during last year’s Australia tour is an example: apparently he was on a spinach-only diet that a pir (spiritual leader) had advised would make him stronger.But this assumption can be, and often is, countered by some Pakistani sociologists who rightly point to the higher incidence of sectarian-fuelled violence in cities like Karachi and Lahore that suggests the opposite to be true. This indicates, they say, that the importance of religion has grown in urban, rather than rural, Pakistan over the last decade or so.Maybe the development isn’t linked so much to changing demography as it is to changing times. Many Pakistanis will tell you that the country as a whole has increasingly come to identify itself in religious terms. When Pakistan came into being it wasn’t, after all, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as it is now. The gradual Islamisation of the country began towards the end of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s premiership in the mid-’70s. Bhutto declared Ahmadis non-Muslim, banned alcohol, shut down nightclubs and changed the weekly holiday from Sunday to Friday to appease the religious front.The subsequent policies of General Zia-ul Haq – he brought in the Shariah law (the Islamic legal system) – and the pre-eminence of Islamic political parties such as the new religious alliance under the banner of the MMA have since enhanced the process. But even here, it can be argued with some justification that the right wing Jamaat-e-Islami party held sway over Karachi’s politics through the ’60s and ’70s.In recent months, two of the more heated domestic debates have been whether or not to retain a column that asks you to identify your faith in the Pakistani passport (after much debate, the column has been retained) and the impending implementation of a Hisba bill in the North-West Frontier Province. The bill essentially puts forth yet another parallel legal Islamic system, one which liberal circles decry as an act of Talibanisation, so strict are its moral codes.Younger players in the current team are children of this era, unlike players such as Imran, Javed and even Akram. When Salman Butt says, as he did in a recent Wisden interview, “we are Muslims and we believe in Allah. We do whatever Islam says and we try to be what we are supposed to be. Religion is the complete code of life and we follow its guiding principles,” it is but natural for someone born in 1984, at the peak of Zia’s rule, to not just say it, but stress upon it.Ultimately, of course, there isn’t anything to suggest the trend really matters in terms of either performance or selection. It forms but an interesting aside in what is, intrinsically and traditionally, an interesting team.Cynics have speculated that Yousuf’s conversion was the derivative of the belief that being Christian would preclude his elevation to captaincy. Disregarding his credentials as captain, the more cynical would counter that having a Christian as captain of Pakistan, an Islamic country fighting a global war on terrorism and a domestic one on extremism, would in fact be an admirable international PR coup for the media-savvy President Musharraf, who also doubles as Patron-in-Chief of the PCB.In any case, Yousuf has denied that his aspiration to captaincy had any link with his decision. In a matter as personal as this, we must go by his word and nothing else, not speculation, rumour or the displeasure expressed by his very vocal family on the subject.

Giants fee-fi-fo floundered to 23 for 7 and then 64 all out after Mooney had to retire hurt

S Sudarshanan04-Mar-20236:29

‘Harmanpreet and Mumbai Indians gave the crowds something to cheer about’

Despite all the glitzy build-up, what the inaugural Women’s Premier League needed to truly blast-off was an I’m her performance. And it came from Harmanpreet Kaur.In many ways the Mumbai Indians captain’s 30-ball 65 could well be for the WPL what Brendon McCullum’s 158 was to the IPL.It was as if Harmanpreet wanted to vent the ire of that run-out that turned the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 semi-final in Australia’s favour. Gujarat Giants had filled all four of their overseas quota with Australians. And that was reason enough.Related

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Issy Wong grew up watching Mumbai Indians. Now she's one of them

Harmanpreet found herself in the middle in the ninth over, with Mumbai at 69 for 2. She saw a set batter in Nat Sciver-Brunt depart after a 54-run partnership with Hayley Matthews, who was also dismissed in the next over to leave Mumbai at 77 for 3. After her Player-of-the-Series performance in the T20 World Cup, Ashleigh Gardner had yet again left a mark.But Harmanpreet didn’t care. She just attacked the ball, like she has been doing for a long, long time for India. A fortunate outside edge in a attempted drive got her going before she timed a Sneh Rana ball through extra cover.But that was merely the prelude. The 12th over showcased Harmanpreet at her Harmanbest. And obviously it was filled with sweep shots – one through backward square leg and another through forward square leg. Georgia Wareham, the bowler, could do little to stop the runs. Even Gardner felt the full force – and range – of Harmanpreet’s sweep, one ball hit powerfully through midwicket, the next paddled deftly past short fine.By now, Harmanpreet was in overdrive. She hit seven fours off successive balls to bring up a 22-ball half-century, the first in the WPL. The famous bat-swing was on show. The confidence perhaps never left. Glimpses of her T20I hundred, ODI knock, or more recently the unbeaten 143 were all on show. Sweeps, check. Pulls, check. Slices and scythes, check. Courtesy her hitting and Amelia Kerr’s able support, Mumbai were able to score 46 between overs 14 and 16 that gave them a launchpad.And all this despite having little practice in the lead up.”Practice (I couldn’t get time to practice)!” she said about her training ahesd of the knock. “There was very little time and I had a lot of commitments as a player and a captain.”But the key for the “over-thinker” in Harmanpreet was to calm herself and bring clarity in her thoughts and get herself “in the zone”.”When I am calmer and be in the moment, it helps in giving clarity,” she said. “Being in that zone isn’t easy but when I am calm it gives me clarity. To be in that zone isn’t easy but I have to keep talking to myself and be in the present. When I am in that zone I am clearer in picking my areas and things become easy for me, and today was that day when I was relaxed”.All of Mumbai rose to applaud Harmanpreet when she finally fell, slicing one to short third off Rana in the 17th over, bringing the curtain down on an 89-run stand with Kerr off just 42 balls. Kerr then stepped up to lead the attack on the Giants as Mumbai added 41 off the next three overs to finish on 207 for 5. Their total of 207 for 5 was the joint-second highest across all major Women’s T20 leagues (WBBL, Kia Super League, The Hundred, Women’s CPL, T20 Challenge and now the WPL) behind Sydney Sixers’ 242 for 4 against Melbourne Stars in 2017-18.Much like that starry night in 2008, the opposition on the receiving end of a truly astonishing T20 innings just couldn’t cope. It didn’t help that their captain and top-scorer at the T20 World Cup final, Beth Mooney, retired hurt after seemingly injuring her knee before the first over of the chase was even done. Giants were 8 for 3 by the end of the fourth over. Then 23 for 7 by the eighth over. And finally bowled out in the 16th to lose by 143 runs.Matthews’ fireworks complement HarmanpreetIf Harmanpreet’s knock was the fire, Matthews’ quick start at the top was the spark Mumbai needed to announce themselves in the WPL. Matthews’ hard-hitting truly set them on their way to begin with a win. She played a pick-up shot off seamer Mansi Joshi’s first ball over deep square leg, before slicing one past backward point for four. She then drove left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar through covers to finish the powerplay on 22 out of Mumbai’s 44.Matthews then showed why she is rated highly with a display of hitting three sixes in the space of seven balls. She first flicked a full ball over long leg off seamer Annabel Sutherland before just pressing forward and lofting her over cow corner a couple of deliveries later. In the next over, she once again cleared her front leg, used her reach to hit Wareham well over long-on.Matthews then used the depth of her crease to slap Gardner through cover-point before the latter got the better of her for a 31-ball 47.Giants were never in the hunt in their 206-run chase especially after captain Beth Mooney hobbled off the field in the first over due to possibly jarring her knee. Sciver-Brunt then had Harleen Deol skying one to deep third off her first ball via a leading edge before castling S Meghana. In the interim, fast bowler Issy Wong’s pace undid Gardner for a first-ball duck as Giants lost three wickets in 15 balls.Bengal’s left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque then ran through the middle order to crush any hopes Giants would have had of a resurgence. Only Dayalan Hemalatha, with 29 not out, and Monica Patel finished in double digits for them.Turning pointMumbai had just started to find the next gear with Harmanpreet and Kerr in the middle and were 124 for 3 after 13 overs. But Monica’s second over truly helped them gain full control. She bowled full and outside off from around the stumps, which Kerr drove through cover-point. A single later, Harmanpreet tore the left-arm seamer’s bowling apart.Harmanpreet first drove her through cover-point, and when Monica switched to over the wicket, she pummeled her through square leg. Monica then went full and outside off only to be driven through covers. The last of fours in that over was perhaps the best of it all – Harmanpreet opened the face of her bat ever so slightly to drive it square through covers. A total of 21 were scored in that over.

Hull City have completed the signing of former Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams on a one-year deal. Williams looked set for a big career after bursting into the first team at United aged just 19 but it has not worked out that way. The left-back went on loan to Norwich and Ipswich and was finally released by the Red Devils in 2024 when his contract expired.

Hull City sign former United star WilliamsFull-back signed a one-year contractMade his debut for United in 2019Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Williams was on trial at Hull this summer and after impressive performances in pre-season friendlies against Sunderland and Getafe, the Tigers offered him a one-year contract, with an option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

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After formally signing the dotted lines, Williams told Hull's official website: "It feels good to be back in the team environment and back on the pitch. Everyone has been very welcoming. It's been a good few weeks but I'm just happy I'm here now and can focus on the football. I had a couple of very honest meetings with the manager. We know it's going to be a process to get fully back up to speed, having that time out. It had been 20 months since I played or was involved with a team. I appreciated the manager's honesty. Now, it's down to me to work hard and get as many games as I can.

"It was very difficult [taking a break from football] – mentally and physically. It's been a long road back, but probably something I needed. Now, I'm back here a different person. I've grown up a lot and I'm ready to just focus on the football. I've missed it. I'm hungry, I'm fiery. I know what quality I can bring to the team. As soon as I get back to that, I'm sure I'll be an asset to the team."

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In August 2023, Williams was spotted driving his Audi A3 on the A34 close to Handforth, Cheshire, at high speeds and erratically as his car crashed into the central reservation after colliding with a Ford Fiesta. He entered a guilty plea to reckless driving and uninsured driving. The 24-year-old was handed a 14-month suspended jail sentence in May and ordered to do community service.

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Hull City will be back in action on Sunday as they host Oxford United in a Championship clash. 

تفاعلت الصحف الإنجليزية على قرعة مسابقة بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا مرحلة الدوري، وبالتحديد عن الكبيرين ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي ومشوارهما في البطولة.

وأوقعت قرعة دوري أبطال أوروبا، مانشستر سيتي وليفربول في مواجهة نارية مع ريال مدريد، وذلك في سيناريو مكرر مثلما حدث الموسم الماضي.

ولعب ليفربول مع ريال مدريد في ملعب أنفيلد الموسم الماضي في دوري أبطال أوروبا مرحلة الدوري، حيث انتصر الريدز بهدفين دون رد.

وفي ملحق دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا تواجه ريال مدريد مع مانشستر سيتي، حيث انتصر ريال مدريد ذهابًا بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، وكرر الفوز في العودة بنتيجة 3-1.

أقرأ أيضًا .. مواجهات خاصة وثنائية.. نظرة على مباريات برشلونة في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وتعتبر هذه هي المرة السادسة في آخر سبع سنوات التي يتواجه فيها ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، في حين لعب الفريق الملكي ضد ليفربول الموسم الماضي وفي موسم 2023 بدور ال16 وفي نهائي المسابقة عام 2022. ردود فعل الصحف الإنجليزية على مواجهتي ريال مدريد مع ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي بدوري الأبطال

وبدأت صحيفة ديلي إكسبريس بقولها عن نجم ريال مدريد، تريت ألكسندر أرنولد، ومواجهة فريقه السابق ليفربول، حيث قالت: ”يستعد ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد للقاء سريع مع ليفربول بعد أن أوقعت قرعة دوري أبطال أوروبا فريقه في مواجهة ريال مدريد، مسجلاً عودته إلى ملعب أنفيلد بعد انتقاله الصيفي إلى سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وأضافت صحيفة ميرور: ”ستمثل ستة فرق من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز إنجلترا في دوري أبطال أوروبا. ينضم ليفربول، حامل لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، إلى مانشستر سيتي وأرسنال وتشيلسي ونيوكاسل، بعد أن احتل كل منهم مركزًا بين الخمسة الأوائل الموسم الماضي. ويكمل توتنهام سداسي إنجلترا بعد فوزه بالدوري الأوروبي”.

وأوضحت ذا أثلتيك: ”قرعة ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا ، ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي ورحلة مدتها 3985 ميلاً إلى كازاخستان”.

وأردفت صحيفة ذا صن: ”سيعود كيفن دي بروين، الذي أمضى فترة في تشيلسي، إلى ملعب الاتحاد لمواجهة مانشستر سيتي، حيث يظل أسطورة في النادي بعد قيادته الفريق إلى تحقيق الثلاثية من قبل”.

وواصلت بي بي سي سبورت: ”يواجه ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي ريال مدريد الفائز باللقب 15 مرة في مرحلة المجموعات بدوري أبطال أوروبا، بينما يتعين على توتنهام ونيوكاسل مواجهة باريس سان جيرمان حامل اللقب”.

وأتمت ديلي تلجراف: ”يواجه ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد عودة مثيرة إلى أنفيلد بعد أن أوقعت القرعة ريال مدريد في مواجهة فريقه السابق ليفربول في المرحلة الأولى من دوري أبطال أوروبا. ومن بين المواجهات الأخرى، مواجهة نابولي بقيادة كيفن دي بروين ضد مانشستر سيتي، حيث تحتوي البطولة على ستة فرق إنجليزية، وهو رقم قياسي”.

Moises Henriques made a spectacular grab at mid-off but replays appeared to show the ball grounded when he landed

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2023’s commentary the ball “clearly” touched the surface and was not out according to the rule book.

The Third Umpire talks us through their decision on the Moises Henriques catch.

Do you agree with the decision? #BBL13 pic.twitter.com/EEfIW0dfD2

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 26, 2023

“I actually think it’s out,” Rogers said after the game. “Moises controlled it and took it beautifully, but I suppose it’s just a grey area with what’s happened in the other game with Mitch Starc’s one.”It’s obviously a hard one to be on the rough side of it, but at the end of the day I’ve hit a bad shot and he has taken a nice catch so it probably is out.”Still, Rogers was forced to walk off after third-umpire Claire Polosak viewed several replays and did not change the on-field soft signal of out. Unlike in international cricket, where the soft signal no longer plays a role, it remains in Australian domestic cricket including the BBL.”As I was looking through the vision, I did not have conclusive evidence to say that there was no fingers under the ball,” Polosak told .Still, Stars were able to recover after an initial stumble. Rogers’ dismissal prompted a minor collapse of 4 for 38, including that of Glenn Maxwell’s dismissal for 12 one ball after he launched Jackson Bird deep over the square-leg boundary.But Beau Webster and Hilton Cartwright were then able to stabilise the innings, putting on a 56-run stand and getting the margin down to 34 from 22 balls.And while Webster was caught at long on for 35 trying to take down Sean Abbott, Cartwright was able to get Stars home with an unbeaten 47.Earlier, Pakistani spinner Usama Mir had helped set up the win with 3 for 19 off four overs early in the innings.His wickets included Henriques when he deceived the Sixers captain and had him stumped, before a quicker ball drew Jordan Silk’s edge later in the over.James Vince was able to steady the ship for Sixers, getting through a difficult opening 10 overs before taking charge in the second half of the innings to finish with 83 from 55 balls.But when he was run out by a Maxwell direct hit, Stars were able to keep the Sixers to 14 runs from a crucial final two overs of the innings.

Bayern Munich have sent an offer for Ludogorets' Hendrik Bonmann as they look for backup for Manuel Neuer.

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• Bayern make offer for Bonmann
• German hasn't made an appearance in top-five leagues
• Bavarians want 31-year-old to be Neuer's first backup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern are keen on securing a suitable backup to Neuer ahead of the 2025-26 season and have identified former Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Bonmann as the man they want to acquire, according to a report from Bulgarian outlet

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  The report further adds that the Bavarians have already sent an offer for the 31-year-old Bonmann, who was contracted to Dortmund between 2013 and 2018 but failed to make a single appearance for the first team. The transfer fee Bayern plan to pay has not been disclosed yet, but the Bulgarian outfit have already started looking for replacements for their No. 1.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bayern have been keen on finding their Neuer successor over the past few months, despite the fact that the legendary goalkeeper signed an extension until the end of the 2025-26 season. He will turn 40 next year, and Die Roten have been linked with names such as Brighton's Bart Verbruggen. Over the course of the 2024-25 season, Neuer was subjected to criticism owing to a decline in his displays, while also battling fitness issues which prompted the iconic Oliver Kahn to urge Neuer to retire from the sport "for his own good."

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  Currently, the Bundesliga champions have the likes of Sven Ulreich, Daniel Peretz, Leon Klanac, and Jonas Urbig on the first team roster. Urbig, who was signed from Koln in January, was given plenty of chances by head coach Vincent Kompany in the injury-enforced absence of Neuer. Regardless, the 21-year-old is believed to remain an understudy to the former German international, and could even be relegated in the pecking order should Bonmann arrive.

Didi Hamann has urged Manchester City to replace Pep Guardiola after the eight-time Premier League champions were snubbed by Florian Wirtz.

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Man City urged to part ways with GuardiolaHamann believes the players need a 'fresh vision'Points at Florian Wirtz's snub as a reasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City suffered their worst season since 2017 as Guardiola's men went trophyless in what can only be described as a transitional campaign. The old guard of City's squad are being moved on while the recruitment has been focusing on bringing youth into the squad.

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With the departure of Kevin De Bruyne as a free agent this summer, City had been eyeing a move for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz; however, the midfielder decided to reject the eight-time Premier League side's advances as Guardiola could not guarantee how long he would be staying at the Etihad. Wirtz's snub has now prompted Hamann to claim that City need to part ways with Guardiola and bring in a manager who can 'light a fire up in the players' and bring in 'a fresh input'.

WHAT HAMANN SAID

Former Liverpool and Germany midfielder Didi Hamann told InstantWithdrawalBettingSites.com: "When Pep Guardiola left Bayern Munich after three years, all the players said that they were exhausted so I never expected him to last this long at Manchester City, he demands so much from the players.

"They have been sensational in the Premier League and got across the line in the Champions League, but I think last season was a turning point. He got a new contract to get the critics off his back but I think City need something new, they need a new voice because things do get stale.

"I think City need a manager who lights a fire up in the players, I think a fresh input would do them good. He would never be sacked but a big clue was Florian Wirtz asking Guardiola how long he would be at the club, and the reports said he couldn’t tell him.

"That is an honest answer but not what players want to hear, I think he will want to win the Premier League or the Champions League and go out with bang. Will that happen? I can’t see them winning either next season."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GUARDIOLA?

Through his campaigns with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Guardiola has generally called it quits after three years each. However, the dynasty he has created at City has urged him to keep going at the Etihad. Nonetheless, one can only wonder whether his reign is in its final stretch, if he can't revive their fortunes next season.

David Moyes has come into the Everton hot-seat and been just the breath of fresh air needed to pull the Toffees away from relegation danger, with a draw to Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out signalling his side’s eighth straight game in the Premier League without defeat.

Whilst many faces in the Everton camp looked dejected and lost towards the end of Sean Dyche’s troubled tenure, a large portion of the Blues first team personnel now look rejuvenated under the Scotsman’s newer methods, with Beto one star very much benefitting from the inspired managerial switch-up having now scored six top-flight strikes.

But, a renewed belief is coursing throughout the team at this moment in time, with a defensive star really sticking out as another figure who has taken to the return of Moyes.

Jake O'Brien's improvements under Moyes at Everton

Whilst the Toffees weren’t exactly leaking goals for fun under the dogged managerial style of Dyche, some of the defenders at Goodison Park have shown signs of improvement already under the ex-West Ham United boss.

That is definitely the case for Jake O’Brien, with the young Irishman a regular on the bench under the previous regime, only to now be a solid first-team option.

The former Olympique Lyonnais defender even grabbed his first-ever Toffees goal on the road at Brentford to finish a sterling February on the best possible note, with that month also seeing him star against Manchester United with five duels being won, on top of a clean sheet being collected at home to Leicester City.

Therefore, it looks now as if Everton have a fantastic long-term candidate to be their right-back, with both Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman towards the end of their careers, compared to the ever-improving O’Brien who has a valuation of £13m according to Transfermarkt.

Amazingly, the breakout star at the back is now worth more than a former Toffees star who was sold for a big fee to a Premier League rival back in 2022.

The Everton "machine" now worth less than O'Brien

Everton have sold on a number of players over recent years for high fees, with Amadou Onana’s name sticking out from last summer’s bumper transfer window, having won the Merseysiders £50m when he moved onto pasture new with Aston Villa.

This isn’t the only time Villa and the Toffees have had a healthy working relationship, however, with former owner Farhad Moshiri losing French full-back Lucas Digne to the Villans in January of 2022, costing the West Midlands side £25m in the process.

The Frenchman was a beloved figure when he was strutting his stuff at Goodison, with Digne going on to notch up six goals and 20 assists across 127 appearances, before inevitably breaking hearts when a move to Villa came calling.

Whilst the 31-year-old has taken to his new challenge at Villa Park well, Everton definitely hit gold selling the ex-Barcelona “machine” – as he was once lauded by football journalist Ty Bracey – when they did.

Why? Well, his steep £25m valuation has taken a hit the more his Villans career goes on.

Whilst Digne has continued to be an exciting option down the left flank with four goals and 14 assists tallied up, his valuation has slipped all the way down to a lesser £10m as per Transfermarkt, representing a £15m decrease.

He has also looked shaky at points this season for Unai Emery’s men in Premier League action, with only two clean sheets coming his way from 28 encounters a worrying statistic to chew over.

Whilst Digne is still remembered as a stellar defender throughout his time on Merseyside, Everton did cash in at the best possible time with hindsight firmly on their side, as Moyes goes about picking up more and more positive results at Goodison with his revitalised troops.

Rooney 2.0: Everton could soon unleash "incredible" 17-year-old Beto rival

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Composed Durham strengthen quarter-finals credentials with fourth win of season

ECB Reporters Network06-Jun-2023

Durham 162 for 6 (Clark 55, Heldreich 3-36) beat Northamptonshire 161 for 7 (Gay 53, Sowter 4-14) by four wicketsNathan Sowter and Graham Clark haunted Northamptonshire Steelbacks for the second time in the Vitality Blast this season after guiding Durham to a four-wicket win at Seat Unique Riverside.Sowter followed his figures of 5 for 15 against the Steelbacks in the reverse fixture with another brilliant spell of 4 for 14 to limit the visitors to 161 for 7 from their 20 overs. Emilio Gay top-scored with a career-best 53, but he lacked support from the rest of the line-up to produce a daunting total for the hosts to chase.Clark delivered an emphatic performance at the top of the innings against the Steelbacks following his century from the opener. His knock of 55 provided the foundation for the chase that was threatened by three wickets from Freddie Heldreich. But, Durham held their composure to strengthen their credentials for a quarter-final place with their fourth win of the season.The visitors solidly started in the powerplay without dominating the Durham attack. Gay was the early pacesetter, impressing with his striking down the ground, including back-to-back boundaries against Luke Robinson. Chris Lynn made a slow start to his knock but brought up the fifty stand with a fine cut behind point to the fence.After clearing the rope for the first time, the Australian was starting to find his range, only to fall for 24 to a brilliant diving catch from Liam Trevaskis at long-off to hand Sowter the breakthrough. Sowter was then responsible for the second wicket as Josh Cobb got himself in a mighty tangle after surviving an lbw shout and was run out by Ashton Turner.Gay continued to play the anchor role and brought up his maiden T20 fifty from 38 balls to position his side for a late surge over the 150-run mark. But Sowter continued to torment the Steelbacks line-up after taking five wickets in the reverse fixture.He prised out David Willey and bowled Saif Zaib to put the clamps on the visitors. The leg-spinner ended his spell with his fourth scalp as Gay was caught on the boundary for 53, taking his ninth wicket in two games against Northants for the cost of just 29 runs.The Steelbacks scrambled to a competitive total of 161 for 7 courtesy of useful late cameos from AJ Tye and Tom Taylor.Northants missed a golden opportunity to set the Durham chase back in the second over when Taylor put down a simple chance at short midwicket to dismiss Alex Lees. The Durham skipper and Clark surged past their fifty partnership at the end of the powerplay, moving ahead of the required rate courtesy of a huge six by the latter.Heldreich earned brief respite for the visitors by breaking the stand with his first ball, pinning Lees lbw for 30.Clark followed in the footsteps of his team-mate Sowter by defying the Steelbacks again. After scoring his maiden T20 century at Wantage Road in the first match of the competition, he proved equally destructive on home soil, powering his way to fifty from 25 balls.Heldreich kept the visitors in with a shout of hauling back the hosts working in tandem with a miserly spell from Saif Zaib, removing Michael Jones and the key wicket of Clark for 55. Zaib then cranked up the pressure when Ollie Robinson was caught on the fence, ending his four-over spell for one for 17.Turner eased the tension for the hosts and all but carried them over the line with a vital knock of 31 from 18. Liam Trevaskis wrapped up proceedings by smashing Tye over the rope before the contest was ended by a wide.