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Pollard and Pooran staged a TKR recovery from 41 for 4 but their total of 166 wasn’t enough against de Kock, Powell and Rutherford

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2025Barbados Royals 172 for 3 (de Kock 55, Alleyne 36, Rutherford 32*) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 166 for 8 (Pooran 45, Pollard 36, Green 3-9) by seven wicketsAn all-round show from bottom-placed Barbados Royals spoiled Trinbago Knight Riders’ plans of finishing on top of the points table – for now – with their third loss in a row at the end of their league stage. TKR are still second and on the same points as table-toppers St Lucia Kings, who have one game in hand.The victory for Royals, who are out of the playoffs race, was scripted by Chris Green’s frugal figures of 3 for 9 along with two wickets apiece from Ramon Simmonds and Daniel Sams before Quinton de Kock, Kadeem Alleyne, Sherfane Rutherford and Rovman Powell helped finish the chase of 167 with an over to spare. It’s the first time TKR have lost three in a row since 2022, and it comes straight after their five wins on the bounce.After a delayed start because of rain, Royals reduced TKR to 34 for 3 in the powerplay as Green sent the openers back and Sams took a return catch to dismiss Joshua Da Silva. Green soon had Keacy Carty caught behind, which brought together captain Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard and the duo started with three sixes in an over off Zishan Motara to lift TKR past 50. A boundary drought of 22 balls followed before Pooran broke the shackles and Pollard belted two more sixes before holing out for 36 off 25. Pooran ambled along to fall for 45 off 43 and TKR were 142 for 7 at the start of the last over before Pooran also holed out, and Akeal Hosein lifted the score and their spirits by ending the innings with 4, 6, 6 and 6 off Sherfane Rutherford.De Kock gave the chase a flying start with his usual swipes on the leg side which resulted in three sixes and a 31-ball fifty. De Kock had a new opening partner in Kadeem Alleyne, who picked up pace later in a rapid fifty stand and powerplay of 62 for 0. Hosein broke the stand in ninth over but Royals were well on top, needing just 70 off the last 60. Pollard, Sunil Narine and Usman Tariq then put the brakes that led to a soft dismissal of de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen holing out when he tried to end the spell of 20 boundary-less balls.TKR would have hoped for a turnaround after bringing the equation to 45 off 24 but Powell took 18 off an Andre Russell over before Rutherford finished things off with four sixes in the space of five balls from Pollard.

Glasgow Rangers have endured a horrendous start to the 2025/26 campaign, failing to win any of their first five matches in the Scottish Premiership.

The Light Blues were also knocked out of the Champions League by a 9-1 defeat to Club Brugge on aggregate, which has left Russell Martin under plenty of pressure early on in his Ibrox career.

There have been some positives to take away from the first couple of months of the campaign, though, including the signing of winger Djeidi Gassama from Sheffield Wednesday.

The French forward arrived from the EFL Championship side for a fee of £2.2m, and he has proven to be an instant success on the flank at Ibrox.

Gassama has produced four goals and one assist in 12 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants to date, including four goals in six Champions League qualifiers.

The 22-year-old star is yet to get off the mark in the Premiership, though, which means that the Gers are still looking for their next Ryan Kent at Ibrox.

Why Rangers need to find their next Ryan Kent

The last time that the Light Blues lifted the Scottish Premiership title was with Steven Gerrard in the dugout in the 2020/21 campaign, and Kent was an influential part of that side.

Signed from Liverpool, the English winger emerged as a key player for Rangers for many years on the left wing, providing goals and assists on a fairly regular basis for the most part.

His contributions to the last Premiership title the club won were particularly eye-catching, though, as the forward delivered an outstanding number of goals and assists for his side.

xG

8.28

Top 11%

Goals

10

Top 9%

xA

8.17

Top 6%

Assists

9

Top 9%

Chances created

68

Top 6%

Successful dribbles

70

Top 1%

Touches in the opposition box

162

Top 1%

As you can see in the table above, Kent was one of the most productive wingers in the Premiership at scoring goals, creating goals, dribbling past opposition players, and getting touches in the opposition’s box.

These statistics show that Gerrard was able to rely on the ex-Liverpool attacker to deliver consistent quality in the final third, without being a one-dimensional threat, because he could go down the outside to provide assists or cut inside to score goals.

Kent then went on to finish his career at Rangers with a return of 33 goals and 56 assists in 218 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he also had longevity at Ibrox.

The Light Blues have won one trophy, the League Cup under Philippe Clement in 2023, in the two full seasons since the club released him in the summer of 2023, illustrating how much they have missed his wizardry on the left flank.

Now, though, Martin may have his own version of Kent already at the club and waiting for his chance to really break through, and it is not Gassama.

Whilst the French star has shown flashes in the Champions League, his failure to provide any goals in five appearances in the Premiership so far is a bit of a concern.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Meanwhile, Rangers have a teenage sensation who has scored a goal in the league this season and has the potential to develop into the club’s next Kent, and his name is Findlay Curtis.

Why Findlay Curtis could be the next Ryan Kent for Rangers

Martin must provide the 18-year-old left-sided attacker with more opportunities to shine at Ibrox in the coming weeks and months because the youngster has shown enough in his limited minutes to suggest that he has serious potential.

Curtis showed great promise during his brief time with the B team. He delivered four goals and three assists in eight appearances at that level before making the step up to the first-team, per Transfermarkt.

Those numbers for the B team were Kent-esque, as he provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the left flank, and he has shown flashes of translating that output over to the senior side.

“The Boy Wonder”, as described by Premier Sports, scored his first goal for the first-team in a Champions League qualifying clash with Panathinaikos, and the run and strike was one that Kent would have been proud of.

Unfortunately, though, the 18-year-old star has not been given a consistent run of matches to showcase his quality on the pitch on the left flank for the Gers since that fantastic goal in the first match of the season.

Panathinaikos (H)

75

1

Panathinaikos (A)

59

0

Viktoria Plzen (H)

5

0

Dundee (H)

13

0

Alloa Athletic (H)

6

1

St Mirren (A)

14

1

Club Brugge (A)

45

0

Celtic (H)

8

0

Hibernian (H)

13

0

As you can see in the table above, the two games against the Greek side are the only two matches in which he has played more than 45 minutes. They are also the only two outings that he started.

Curtis has scored one goal in 35 minutes of action in the Premiership, netting a crucial equaliser away at St Mirren, as he has only been rewarded with three short cameos off the bench by Martin.

Considering that Rangers have failed to win any of their five Premiership games and that they have failed to score in three of their last four games, it seems bizarre that the youngster has not been afforded more of an opportunity to shine.

The teenage star’s form at B team and first-team level suggests that he has the potential to be a Ryan Kent-esque figure on the left flank, scoring and assisting goals on a regular basis.

Rangers must rue losing their own homegrown Bukayo Saka for £0

Rangers lost a talented young player this summer and he is already being compared to Bukayo Saka.

ByDan Emery Sep 23, 2025

This is why Martin must bring Curtis into the starting XI in the upcoming matches to see if he can deliver consistent quality as a regular starter, given that he has already scored three goals in just 221 minutes of football, per Sofascore, this season.

Elche’s 2-2 draw against Real Madrid erupted into controversy after Vinicius Junior collided with goalkeeper Inaki Pena in the build-up to Jude Bellingham’s equaliser. Pena was left bleeding after the incident and furious that no foul was given. What began as a brave Elche performance turned into a storm of complaints, shifting focus from their impressive display to referee decisions.

Pena left bleeding amid controversial goal decision

Elche had Madrid on the ropes, leading twice and defending with discipline, when a late scramble inside the box changed the shape of the night. As Vinicius attacked a loose ball in the 87th minute, he crashed knee-first into goalkeeper Pena’s face, sending the keeper to the turf with a bloody nose. Play continued, Madrid recycled possession, and Bellingham buried the rebound for 2-2, sparking immediate protests from Elche players.

At first, Pena himself downplayed the incident, still dazed as he spoke minutes after the final whistle. “He shoots, I stop it, and with the momentum, it hits me in the nose. Bad luck. It’s part of the game. It was just a blow, nothing more,” he said in his initial interview.

Elche manager Eder Sarabia, however, made it clear he believed the referee missed a decisive moment. “Vinicius doesn’t touch the ball, it hits Pena in the face. It’s a clear foul,” he insisted.

What looked like a moment of misfortune soon spiralled into a larger debate as Pena’s own assessment changed once he saw the replay.

AdvertisementAFPPena reverses his verdict as he claims Vinicius foul

Back in the dressing room, after watching video of the collision, the Elche shot-stopper realised what had actually happened and that the blow he received was not incidental.

In his press conference he corrected his earlier remarks stating: "He shoots, tries to go for the rebound, but on the second play he doesn't let me participate because he knocks me out. For me, it is a foul, but if the referee goes to VAR and says it's not a foul, there's nothing we can do," the 26-year-old said.

The change in tone reflected the frustration in the Elche camp. They believed they had earned more than a point and that Madrid’s equaliser should never have stood.

The draw, however, keeps Elche steady in the standings. After 13 matches, they sit 11th in La Liga, continuing to exceed expectations despite the disappointment of dropping two points so late. Their organisation, fight and attacking efficiency once again underlined why many consider them one of the most exciting newly promoted sides in the league.

Elche coach Sarabia’s anger boils over

Sarabia's frustration with the officiating was immediate. He pointed to two moments that he believed “conditioned the final result” – a missed foul in the build-up to Madrid’s first equaliser, and the collision involving Vinicius.

“No, I’m not happy, not at all,” he said. “I already told the players I was gutted, and when I saw the decisive calls, I’m even more so.”

He further added: “The foul before the second goal (for Madrid) wasn’t a foul at all. What’s more, it was a counter-attack that could have made it 3-1. And then Vinicius doesn’t touch the ball, it hits Inaki Pena in the face. Inaki Pena didn’t see the play. Vinicius hits him in the face, that’s why his face is like that. It’s a clear foul.”

Sarabia’s irritation extended beyond a single decision. "When you play against Real Madrid, you do so many things, you take the lead twice, and then you feel that there were factors that influenced the final result, it makes you angry.” 

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AFPElche's stunning return to La Liga under Sarabia

Sarabia's newly-promoted side have delivered some impressive results: draws against Atletico Madrid, Real Betis and Sevilla, competitive performances against every top-six side, and a current mid-table position far above preseason expectations.

As Sarabia himself puts it: “Everything starts from bravery… we have an idea, and we will die with that idea.”

His players share the same conviction. Captain Pedro Bigas says the team finally feels “in control, even against the biggest teams,” while striker Rafa Mir highlights the “freedom within structure” that has allowed Elche to thrive, and allowed him to net four goals this season.

With upcoming fixtures against Girona, Mallorca and Rayo Vallecano, Elche have the chance to consolidate their impressive start and push closer to the top half.

Leeds United will be worrying that a promotion collapse is now well underway, after going the last three Championship games without a win with the performance and result against Blackburn Rovers last time out a real concern.

The Whites would end up losing 1-0 to John Eustace's Riversiders courtesy of a late Sammie Szmodics strike, the second tier's top scorer showing the wasteful Leeds attackers where the back of the net is in the narrow defeat.

Daniel Farke will be riddled with even more doubt now over who he should start in the attacking positions going forward as the games become more tense to make the goals flow again, with Crysencio Summerville's set-in-stone position in the first-team up for grabs even after his dismal showing against Blackburn.

Crysencio Summerville's performance in numbers

Summerville has failed to score in his stuttering side's last three second-tier contests now, drawing yet another blank frustratingly against Eustace's visitors.

Failing to hit a single on-target effort at Aynsley Pears' goal in the 1-0 defeat, the usually electric Dutch winger also found all ten of his crosses go astray on a poor day at the office for the 22-year-old.

Unable to complete one successful dribble in the narrow loss as well, on top of squandering possession a staggering 28 times, the 5 foot 9 attacker could find his spot filled by somebody else versus Middlesbrough up next after such an off-performance.

This would be a very bold selection call by Farke, with Summerville having started every league game since being left out against Ipswich Town last August, but the German boss showed he can make rash switches by starting Wilfried Gnonto ahead of Daniel James in the 1-0 loss.

Gnonto will feel he's done enough to secure another starting spot for the upcoming trip to Boro, but Joel Piroe will be anxious that he will return to the substitutes bench again after putting in an anonymous display against Blackburn.

Joel Piroe's performance vs Blackburn in numbers

In another tweak from the XI that stumbled to a 0-0 draw against Sunderland, Piroe was preferred as the lone striker ahead of Patrick Bamford for the visit of Eustace's men.

This was a switch that didn't work out whatsoever for Leeds however, with the ex-Swansea City striker unable to really kick into gear against a resilient Blackburn defence and bag a decisive goal.

Piroe would fall victim to the same fate as Summerville by failing to fire a single on-target effort at the Riversiders net from his 90 minutes on the Elland Road turf, alongside seeing 11 of his 34 passes go astray in a below-par display from the struggling Whites number seven.

It wasn't a surprise, therefore, to see LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross hand out a scathing 3/10 rating to Piroe in the direct aftermath of the demoralising defeat – Cross stating that the 24-year-old attacker 'brought nothing' when it came to troubling the Blackburn back four.

Minutes played

90

Touches

43

Accurate passes

23/34

Shots on target

0

Duels won

3/7

Possession lost

13x

Scanning the table above, Bamford could well find a way back into his manager's starting lineup again ahead of Piroe after the 6 foot 1 striker's dire performance against Blackburn.

Farke will hope whatever XI he fields for the trip to the Riverside Stadium next can be the lineup that picks up a much-needed win, making the promotion-chasers confident again instead of being uncertain over whether or not they're cut out to be in the Premier League next season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck has responded to transfer links with Real Madrid as he commits to a future with the German side.

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Schlotterbeck linked with Real MadridResponds to the rumoured switchSet to sign new contract with DortmundWHAT HAPPENED?

Schlotterbeck was one of Borussia Dortmund's top performers last season under Edin Terzic as they stormed into the Champions League final. As such, the defender was linked with a potential move to their Champions League final opponents, Real Madrid, as Los Blancos look to continue improving their defence. Schlotterbeck has responded to those links and kept a potential move away from Signal Iduna Park on the cards.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT SCHOLTTERBECK SAID

Speaking to , Schlotterbeck responded to the Real Madrid links, saying: "At some point, I would probably be tempted to go abroad, but I have been here for two years now and have identified so much with BVB that I really want to play here for the third season, and probably the fourth and fifth, too, so I am really happy to be at BVB and also see it as a certain honour.

"I am aware of [the Madrid rumours]. At some point, we can perhaps talk about it, but so far only Borussia Dortmund plays a role in my mind and I think for the next few years too."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Shlotterbeck has all but committed his near future to Dortmund as they look to begin proceedings under Nuri Sahin but has also kept a potential move in the future on the cards. The Black and Yellow have reportedly offered the 24-year-old a contract extension that would make him one of the top earners at the club. Schlotterbeck also talked about the potential extension and said: "For me, everything is possible here. I am very happy at BVB. We will have to see in the coming weeks."

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SCHLOTTERBECK?

Owing to his appearances in Julian Nagelsmann's Germany squad through Euro 2024, Schlotterbeck has been given an extended period off and will likely return to training next week as he hopes to be a part of Sahin's first official match at Dortmund.

Celtic loanee Adam Idah continued his fine start to life in Glasgow with his fantastic Old Firm strike in the Scottish Premiership match on Sunday.

The Ireland international took his tally to six goals in nine league appearances for the Hoops, since his move on loan from Norwich City on deadline day at the start of February.

Idah has chipped in with six goals and two assists in nine Premiership games, despite only starting four of those outings, which shows that he has hit the ground running in Scotland.

However, Celtic do not have an option to make the deal permanent in the summer and this means that they may need to look elsewhere beyond this season to find their heir to Kyogo Furuhashi, who has struggled at times this term.

Brendan Rodgers, though, could find a homegrown long-term replacement for the Japan international in the form of B team star Daniel Cummings, who has been on fire in front of goal.

Kyogo Furuhashi's struggles this season

The 29-year-old marksman failed to find the back of the net against Rangers in the Old Firm clash on Sunday and has now only scored one goal in his last six games.

Kyogo has scored ten goals in 32 league appearances for the Hoops so far this season, which is a return of one strike every 3.2 games on average, and has been very wasteful with the chances that have been created for him.

Kyogo Furuhashi

-4.59

Daizen Maeda

-3.05

James Forrest

-1.76

Reo Hatate

-1.63

Hyeon-gyu Oh

-1.35

As you can see in the table above, no Celtic player has underperformed their xG by more than the Japanese striker, who has only scored ten goals from an xG of 14.59.

The experienced attacker has missed a staggering 20 'big chances' in the Premiership this term, and Rodgers could dip into the academy in pre-season later this year to unearth a potential heir to Kyogo's place in the team.

Daniel Cummings' electric academy performances

The 17-year-old starlet, who turns 18 this month, has been on fire in the Lowland League so far this season for the B team, having made his breakthrough at that level during the 2022/23 campaign.

Cummings scored three goals in ten appearances in the division last term, despite only playing 231 minutes of action, and has been a regular this year.

The teenage sensation, who has scored one goal in three games for Scotland's U17s, has fired in 12 goals in 16 Lowland League outings for the young Hoops – in 1,062 minutes.

This means that the talented marksman, who could emerge as Kyogo's long-term heir, has plundered 15 goals in 1,293 minutes of action in the Lowland League since the start of last season.

That is a return of one goal every 86.2 minutes on average – better than a goal per 90 – whilst the Japanese forward has scored once every 213 minutes in the Premiership for Celtic.

This suggests that the potential is there for the 17-year-old star to eventually become a first-team option for Rodgers, if he can translate that impressive form over to the senior squad.

It is down to the manager, however, to provide him with that opportunity to shine and Idah returning to Norwich at the end of his loan could open the door for Cummings to state his case for a place in the side next season.

Former Manchester United coach Eric Ramsay has revealed what it's like to work with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

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Eric Ramsay worked with Ten Hag until MLS moveReveals he learned a lot from the DutchmanBut could not turn down U.S. offerWHAT HAPPENED?

Ramsay worked alongside Ten Hag at Manchester United before moving on to MLS side Minnesota United in February 2024. He became the youngest-ever coach in MLS at the age of 32 when he made the switch and says he learned a lot from the Dutchman during their time together at Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ten Hag wanted to keep hold of Ramsay and admitted it was "not a good time in the season" for him to leave when he waved farewell to the Red Devils in February. The Dutchman's future at United was uncertain for long periods of last season before he guided the Red Devils to an impressive FA Cup win over Manchester City.

WHAT RAMSAY SAID ABOUT TEN HAG

He told the : "For sure, I took loads from working with Erik. A really impressive guy with a real sense of strength and conviction. Watching Erik from a step removed, dealing with the enormity of what you have at Manchester United when things aren’t going well, that was really helpful. It’s how you deal with these moments that are absolutely decisive in whether you can keep a group going and how far you go as a coach."

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WHY RAMSEY LEFT MAN UTD FOR MLS

Ramsey also also revealed why he had left the Red Devils for a new challenge in the United States: "I just felt that it was one I couldn’t turn down. However it pans out here and when it comes to an end, I know I will be significantly better for having had this experience. It’s been everything I wanted it to be so far. I can say safely that even after five months that I feel twice as capable as I would have done had I stayed there. There’s probably never going to be a point where I look back and say, 'I should perhaps have stayed at Manchester United a touch longer.'

"I had a couple of chances to go during the course of Erik’s time, and I’d always taken them to him first. He was a very good person to talk to in that sense. He’s very honest and has also got that mentoring side to him. When this came up, as much as there was an appetite for me to stay, he could see the value in the opportunity. We had a couple of long conversations about it and I was really thankful that he enabled me to go because it was an awkward time in the season for them. I was really thankful from watching over here that it all panned out as it did because I certainly wouldn’t want to have seen it go any other way."

Manchester United are reportedly interested in securing the signing of an "exceptional" attacking player during the summer transfer window as they look to strengthen their squad.

Man Utd eyeing more attackers

The Red Devils haven't always had the most prolific attack this season, even though Rasmus Hojlund has shone the longer the campaign has gone on, while Alejandro Garnacho has also had his moments. Both Marcus Rashford and Antony have flattered to deceive in comparison, and it would be a surprise if Sir Jim Ratcliffe didn't bring in reinforcements this summer.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been linked with a switch to United in the fairly recent past, with the Nigerian still one of Europe's most prolific attacking players, scoring 72 goals in 125 appearances for the reigning Serie A champions.

Juventus youngster Samuel Iling-Junior is another potential target for Erik ten Hag at the end of the season. He may look to seal a return to the English game having departed for Italy from Chelsea back in 2020. Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres has also been backed to join United in the next transfer window following an excellent campaign that has seen the former Coventry City talisman net 22 times and bag 10 assists in 25 Primeira Liga appearances in 2023/24 to date.

Borussia Dortmund's Donyell Malen is another name on the list of summer targets at Old Trafford, and the fact that he shares the same agent as Hojlund could help that piece of business going through seamlessly.

Man Utd want "exceptional" World Cup goalscorer

According to a new update from GiveMeSport, Manchester United are also keen on signing Dani Olmo this summer, with the RB Leipzig attacker emerging as a strong option to come in.

Olmo could be a really strong addition to United's squad in the summer, with the Leipzig ace scoring for Spain at the 2022 World Cup and finding the net eight times in 33 caps for his country in total. This season, he has three goals and four assists to his name in the Bundesliga, and his versatility has allowed him to thrive centrally and on both flanks.

Appearances

15

Starts

11

Goals

3

Assists

4

Shots per game

1.7

Key passes per game

1.3

Dribbles per game

1.3

The United transfer target has been lauded as "exceptional" by current Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann in the past, who has said of him:

"The Bundesliga has a higher pace than the Croatian league, so it takes some time to adjust physically. But he was extremely hard-working, won the ball a lot of times and defended very robustly. He has exceptional abilities and is very safe with the ball. When he gets put under pressure, he knows how to provoke a foul."

Man Utd now eyeing move to sign £40m+ "monster" to replace Casemiro

This would be a statement signing.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 30, 2024

Depth and quality are required in United's squad moving forward in order to challenge in the major competitions, and while Olmo may not come in as an absolute guaranteed starter, he would be a superb option who could easily develop into a key man over time.

The featured, titled ‘Beyond the Boundary’, will premiere worldwide on August 14

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2020The ICC has collaborated with Netflix for a retrospective feature documentary, “Beyond the Boundary”, about the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup. The tournament culminated with hosts Australia defeating India in the final at the MCG on International Women’s Day (March 8) with 86,174 spectators in attendance, a record for a women’s sporting event in Australia.The first piece of ICC original content to be carried by a streaming service, the documentary, according to a release issued by the governing body, largely focuses on three established sides – Australia, India, and England – making their way to the knockouts of the ten-team event. The narrative also weaves in the journey of debutants Thailand, whose qualification for the world tournament was a first for the nation across men’s and women’s cricket.Part of the “100% Cricket” project launched by the ICC ahead of the T20 World Cup final, the film is a celebration of “the 17-day tournament, which saw the emergence of new heroes in the women’s game as more cricket fans than ever before switched on,” the release states. It premieres worldwide on Netflix on August 14, and will be available on the OTT platform with subtitles in English, Thai, French, Japanese, Malay, Indonesian, Korean, Dutch, and Hindi.ALSO READ: A celebration for Australia, a celebration for the women’s gameReflecting on the importance of the documentary, former Australia captain Lisa Sthalekar, part of the ICC’s commentary team at the tournament, said: “I played in a home World Cup in 2009 when England won and we had a crowd of maybe 2,000. Therefore, when the opening match, Australia vs India was played in Sydney, I wanted to take my father to the game, to show him how much the women’s game has transformed since I retired in 2013.”It was nice to share that moment with him, as he was in awe of how the game has changed. There were 13,500 people there, the atmosphere in the stadium was electric and I had never seen my father smile so much at a cricket game and get so involved in the clash! It was a way to say thank you to him and to all parents and that sacrifice a lot to allow us cricketers a chance to play for our country.”Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler and commentator, described the film as a fitting recap of the tournament, which was also the last high-profile multi-team sports event to be held this year before the Covid-19 pandemic ground all sporting action to a halt. “The skill and variety of the players showcased everything that has been exceptional about the women’s game,” he said.Manu Sawhney, the ICC chief executive, said the film aims at helping increase the visibility of women’s cricket. “The film captures all the action and drama from the tournament, which set new benchmarks for not just women’s cricket but all women’s sport and gives fans around the world the chance to relive one of the greatest ICC events we have ever staged,” he said.

Pep Guardiola is keeping his cards close to his chest regarding his future at Manchester City as his cryptic responses raise more questions.

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Guardiola might continue at Man City beyond 2025Had earlier indicated that he was closing in on an exitPost-season break has changed the dynamicsWHAT HAPPENED?

The City manager suggested earlier in May that the upcoming season might be his last, stating he was “closer to leaving than staying.” However, during the pre-season tour in the United States, Guardiola hinted at a potential contract extension, indicating he has not yet made a definitive decision.

AdvertisementGetty WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

“When I’m leaving, I will say I’m leaving, but I didn’t say that,” Guardiola remarked before a friendly match against Milan at New York’s Yankee Stadium. “We will see what happens. But I will not rule it out absolutely to extend my contract. I would love to stay because I would love to stay.”

Guardiola sought to clarify his previous statements made after securing a fourth consecutive Premier League title for Manchester City. He explained that his comments about being “closer to leaving than staying” were a reflection on his eight-year tenure at the club, not an immediate plan to depart. “[I was] saying that I [had] been eight years in Man City. So I’m not here for eight more years. So that’s why I’m closer to leaving than staying. But I didn’t say I’m leaving!”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Since joining City in 2016, he has secured six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the club’s first Champions League trophy. “I want to be sure it’s the right decision. Not just for me, for the club, for the players,” Guardiola emphasised.

Nonetheless, he remains confident in his players' dedication and effort, noting their continued hard work and competitive spirit that makes them one of the favourites for the Premier League and the Champions League in the next season as well.

“Still they run like they ran for eight years, it doesn’t matter the competition, it doesn’t matter the tournament,” he stated.

"It’s good to refresh, for players and managers," he added. "At the same time, we have had success and are still winning Premier Leagues and we are playing competitions like the Champions League. This is my feeling right now.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Manchester City have already qualified for the revamped 32-team FIFA Club World Cup next summer, which will be hosted in the United States. When he was about the possibility of returning with the squad next season for the global showpiece event, Guardiola affirmed: "I would love to."