With Mihailovic, TFC identified a proven player who they can rely on for leadership while also elevating their attack

Toronto FC began a new era on Saturday with the introduction of U.S. men's national team midfielder Djordje Mihalovic.

They paid a reported $8 million fee for the 26-year-old, but in return, they gained a proven and talented player who knows how to operate within the unique structure of Major League Soccer. The deal was the the second-largest under the new Cash for Players mechanism, only trailing that of Evander's early-season move to FC Cincinnati from the Portland Timbers.

With Mihailovic, TFC gained a player with both European and international experience, but more importantly, somebody with a proven track record who to be at the club. Earlier this season, the Canadian franchise parted ways with Italian Designated Player duo Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne, buying out the contracts of both forwards.

With manager Robin Fraser, an experienced MLS veteran, on the touchline, Toronto are looking to return to the top of the Eastern Conference. It's been a decade since they could say that.

GOAL takes a look at the move, the fit and a club searching for a long-lost identity. 

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Mihailovic is a known commodity in MLS, and for good reason. He's been one of the league's most consistent performers.

As a teenager, he broke through the Chicago Fire academy, where he scored 41 goals in 66 matches before signing a Homegrown deal with the senior team ahead of the 2017 MLS season. Across four seasons, he featured in 75 matches, scoring seven goals and recording 15 assists in all competitions. 

His performances caught the eyes of multiple parties, both home and abroad, and resulted in his first senior national team call up in 2019 at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In 2020, Montreal acquired Mihailovic for $800,000 in a mix of allocation money. In 68 matches for the Canadian side, he scored 16 goals and recorded 24 assists, including a record-setting season in 2021 in which he notched 16 assists.

His play earned him a move to the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar after the 2021 season, where he played in the Dutch Eredivisie, making 36 appearances across all competitions. However, his time abroad was short-lived. At MLS Media Day in 2025, Mihailovic told GOAL that his return to the U.S. was spearheaded by the deep connection he shared with his family.

Colorado Rapids paid AZ a reported $3M fee, and signed him as a Designated Player. With the Rapids, Mihailovic became the focal point of Chris Armas' squad, and they built their roster around getting the most out of him. They maximized his skillset – in 63 matches across all competitions, he responded with 23 goals and 22 assists, with a goal or an assist in 71 percent of his appearances for the Western Conference side.

He was named Colorado's MVP and set the club's single-season record for most goal contributions, while becoming a leader and captain. Perhaps Mihailovic is a late bloomer, but throughout the first eight years of his professional career, he showed glimpses for club and country. Now, Toronto are taking a gamble on him.

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The last time TFC signed a 26-year-old U.S. international was in 2014, and that turned out pretty well – an MLS Cup, two runners-up awards, three Eastern Conference playoff titles, one Supporters' Shield, four Canadian Championships and one CONCACAF Champions Cup runner-up.

His name? Michael Bradley.

In Mihalovic's time as a teenager with CF MTL (formerly Montreal Impact), he learned a lot about the Canadian game, and had the opportunity to explore the city of Toronto. That proved pivotal in him joining their ranks. 

"Toronto is a massive organization," Mihailovic said in his introductory news conference. "They were at the top of the league at one point when I just came into MLS, and when I think of Toronto, I think of trophies. The conversation about winning trophies, getting back to the top, is ultimately what persuaded me here.”

With Insigne and Bernardeschi out the door, TFC needed a new centerpiece. After two reportedly unsuccessful  approaches, Mihailovic told Colorado he wanted the move, and the Rapids accepted their third bid.

“When I hear Toronto FC, all I think about is the treble, trophies, the MVP players before me, and you think of just a massive club," explained Mihailovic. "That was how it was when I first came into the league, and that thought alone drew me immediately. When I heard this idea… I quickly tried to grab it. The thought of playing here, helping the team for how many years I'm here for, and to be a part of that history and to help get Toronto back to the top of the league.”

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Mihailovic has long shown he's had the talent, but it's come and gone over the years. On his USMNT debut in 2019, Mihailovic, then just 20 years old, scored. It was a historic moment, as he found the back of the net on his first showing in a USMNT kit, which coincidentally, was also the first match of former manager Gregg Berhalter. 

It led to his 2019 Gold Cup selection, and although he never broke through in the way many expected, he remained an option in the player pool. Selected again for the 2023 Gold Cup, he's one of a handful of players who have competed in the competition twice, and by doing so, his international experience proved to be invaluable to the program.

Selected as one of three overage players to represent team USA at the 2024 Olympics, Mihailovic led the U.S. to their best finish at the competition in more than 20 years while scoring twice and recording one assist. It was a rise that was coming, and spearheaded by his return to form in MLS with the Rapids.

Instant impact

With Mihailovic, TFC identified a proven player who they could rely on to be a leader on and off the pitch, while elevating their attack. 

“We wanted to identify the No. 10, the creative midfielder, as a priority for us and our team," said general manager Jason Hernandez. "With that, we very quickly had our long list and our short list, at a point where we felt really strongly about it, and Djordje was at the top of the short list."

On Saturday, he was immediately inserted into the club's XI for their match against Eastern Conference heavyweights Philadelphia Union. Mihailovic controlled the tempo, made effective passes, and looked like the missing link for a club in desperate need of guidance in the final-third. 

“He was really good. I thought early on, he provided some through-passes that really could have turned into things and he is very quick to recognize where there’s a window to play something in,” Fraser said after the game. “He’s very capable of finding windows very quickly and executing balls at the right passes at the right weight, and that sort of thing. And I thought it was really good for us.”

Mihailovic logged 89 minutes, completing 73 percent of his passes while creating four chances and completing 100 percent of his long ball attempts.

“We had to dig in and fight today, and we see that Djordje is also a fighter, and he ran and defended and really worked hard,” added Fraser.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية أن أحد لاعبي فريق ريال مدريد قد تحصل على بطاقة حمراء في المشادة العنيفة التي وقعت في نهاية مباراة الكلاسيكو ضد برشلونة، مساء يوم الأحد.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة ريال مدريد وبرشلونة، في الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2025/26، حيث حقق الملكي فوزًا بهدفين لهدف.

وشهدت الثواني الأخيرة من عمر الكلاسيكو مشادة قوية بين لاعبين الفريقين على خط التماس، بعدما طُرد لاعب برشلونة، بيدري، نتيجة حصوله على بطاقة صفراء ثانية في اللقاء.

وبشكل مفاجئ، نشبت مشادة قوية بين لاعبي فريقي برشلونة وريال مدريد على خط التماس، والتي انتقلت إلى أرض الملعب عقب إطلاق صافرة النهاية، وكان لامين يامال مركزها.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موندو ديبورتيفو: فينيسيوس “الطفل” خسر العرش أمام الثنائي الأكثر أناقة في ريال مدريد

وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، فإن أحد لاعبي فريق ريال مدريد تحصل على بطاقة حمراء بسبب المشادة المذكورة في نهاية مباراة الكلاسيكو أمام برشلونة.

وأوضحت أن ذلك اللاعب هو حارس مرمى ريال مدريد، أندري لونين، حيث سُجل الأمر في تقرير الحكم سيزار سوتو جرادو.

وأفادت أن لونين طُرد نتيجة مغادرته دكة بدلاء ريال مدريد وتوجهه إلى تلك التي تنتمي لـ برشلونة، بطريقة عدوانية، حيث اضطر زملائه إلى إحجامه عن المضي قدمًا في تصرفه، ويتبقى معرفة ما إذا كان سيتم إيقافه لمباراة واحدة أم أكثر.

ليس هذا فقط، بل كشف تقرير جرادو أن 6 بطاقات صفراء قد تم إشهارها من جانبه تجاه لاعبي الفريقين خلال المشادة، وكانت من نصيب كل من: إيدير ميليتاو، رودريجو، فينيسيوس جونيور، ثلاثي ريال مدريد، إلى جانب ثلاثي برشلونة فيرمين لوبيز، بالدي وفيران توريس.

Liverpool-linked Alexander Isak has been slammed over his “bizarre” decision to leave Newcastle and chase an extra “50,000 a week”.

• Transfer request tabled on Tyneside
• Swedish striker pushing for a move
• Liverpool reportedly preparing bid

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Sweden international striker is seemingly pushing for a way out of St James’ Park, with a transfer request being tabled. He has been left out of Newcastle’s pre-season plans and has seemingly entered into talks with interested parties.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It is being reported that personal terms have been agreed with Liverpool, as the reigning Premier League champions prepare to table a formal offer for a player that apparently comes with a £150 million ($200m) price tag.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Magpies have Isak tied to a contract through to 2028, meaning that they can dictate any discussions, and there is no guarantee that a big-money sale will be sanctioned – with Eddie Howe readying his squad for more Champions League action in 2025-26.

• Getty
  

  WHAT PEARCE SAID

  Ex-Newcastle defender Stuart Pearce, speaking in association with , told GOAL when asked why an ambitious project on Tyneside – which has wealthy owners on board – is struggling to retain players of Isak’s ilk: “Only the players can answer that. Looking at it from a player's point of view and my history as a player, sometimes down the line you have got to stay and play football where you are happy. Isak looks to me as though he is happy at Newcastle.

  “They are in European competition, the club have won their first trophy for a long time, why wouldn’t you stay would be the question. I’m sure financially they can offer as good as anyone and he can get paid 150, 250, 300,000 pounds a week. To me there is very little in that if he is going to get paid another 50,000 pounds on top of that. It seems bizarre to me.

  “I think it will resolve itself. I don’t think Newcastle will part company with Isak – certainly not this season. The trouble is, if you are not Liverpool and not Manchester City, you have got a fight on to keep players. That is just the nature of the game.”

There has been a post doing the rounds on social media, appearing to take aim at Liverpool’s spending in recent times, namely their ability to fork out what were then record fees for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.

That has been brought into the limelight amid the impending arrival of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz for a reported total price tag of around £126m, with that significant outlay potentially set to eclipse Chelsea’s £115m capture of Moises Caicedo – the current British record.

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Rival supporters should know better, however, with this a club who have certainly received bang for their buck in the FSG era, with Van Dijk and Alisson, in particular, having been central figures in securing a plethora of major honours since their arrival.

As those £75m and £67m deals showcased, respectively, the Anfield side are willing to splash out only at the right time – and for the right player – with the decision to plump for Wirtz no doubt a calculated one, rather than merely a desperate show of strength.

The Merseysiders – who have already snapped up Jeremie Frimpong to boot – appear to have sprung into action after a quiet 24 months in the transfer market, with the imminent addition of Wirtz seemingly not the last of the summer for Arne Slot’s side.

Latest on Liverpool's business after Wirtz

The signing of the German sensation appears to be a matter of when and not if, with the Premier League champions having fended off rival interest from the likes of Manchester City and Bayern Munich to get their man.

At a time when the Bundesliga’s best talents typically ended up in Bavaria, there has been an element of surprise at Wirtz’s decision to leave his homeland behind, albeit with that perhaps showcasing the strength of the project on offer at Anfield.

Indeed, a third exciting signing of the summer could also be on the way in the form of Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, with the Hungarian full-back seemingly edging ever closer to making the switch.

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As revealed by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano – writing in his GIVEMESPORT newsletter – there is set to be a final round of talks amid the hope of striking a deal with the Cherries, with the player himself having already agreed to the move.

It is said that the 21-year-old will be ‘next’ after Wirtz’s acquisition, with previous reports outlining that the rampaging left-back will command a fee of around £45m, should a deal be agreed.

Part of an exciting Bournemouth side last term, Kerkez could be a dream ‘consolation’ after the Reds missed out on his in-demand teammate, Dean Huijsen.

Why Kerkez could be as exciting as Huijsen

It may appear strange to say for a team that only just stormed to Premier League title glory, although there does appear to be surgery needed at Anfield, particularly with regard to the backline.

Indeed, the controversial exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold has sparked Frimpong’s acquisition, while Kerkez could be a ready-made replacement for Andy Robertson, with just a year remaining on the 31-year-old’s contract.

There has also been talk regarding the signing of a new centre-back, not least with uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konate’s own contract extension, with recent months seeing Liverpool emerge as a leading suitor for the aforementioned Huijsen.

Available for £50m due to a release clause in his Bournemouth contract, the 20-year-old Spaniard caught the eye following what has proved to be a solitary season on the south coast, with Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid ultimately winning the race for his signature.

Huijsen – who Jamie Redknapp described as looking “effortless” on the pitch – was the star attraction of Andoni Iraola’s high-flying side, but Kerkez is a standout talent in his own right, having been hailed as a “revelation” by Jamie Carragher.

Federico Dimarco

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Rayan Ait-Nouri

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Robin Gosens

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Nathaniel Brown

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Alejandro Grimaldo

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Antonee Robinson

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Maximilian Mittlestadt

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Milos Kerkez

8

Emanuel Valeri

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Sergi Cardona

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A young and high-potential defender, much like Huijsen, the £45m man started all 38 league games in 2024/25, having chipped in with two goals and five assists in that time from his left-sided berth.

It is that attacking quality that stands out regarding the Hungary international, as he also created eight ‘big chances’ and averaged one key pass per game in the top-flight. Huijsen too is also a real threat in the opposition box, having registered five goals and assists of his own from centre-back.

What is most impressive about their pair, however, is that such forward-thinking quality is backed up by their defensive strength, with Huijsen averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game while being dribbled past just 0.3 times. Kerkez, meanwhile, averaged 2.6 tackles and interceptions, while having been dribbled past on just 0.4 occasions.

For context, the long-serving Robertson averaged just 1.8 and 0.6 for those same two metrics, respectively, having also only registered one assist, showcasing the potential upgrade that could be acquired.

Yes, Huijsen may have been the name on everybody’s lips at the Vitality Stadium of late, although Kerkez – who Opta’s Matt Furniss claimed is ‘on his way to being one of Europe’s best full-backs’ – is equally as exciting.

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India 16 for 1 (Southee 1-4) trail New Zealand 259 (Conway 76, Ravindra 65, Washington 7-59, Ashwin 3-64) by 243 runsThree days ago, Washington Sundar was not even part of this Test squad, instead scoring a hundred and taking a couple of three-fors against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Brought in the XI ahead of the incumbent spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) and the back-up (Axar Patel) in the squad, he took seven wickets on the first day of a Test to bowl New Zealand out for 259. Five of his victims were bowled, one lbw and one caught as he took out the last seven wickets following three taken by Tamil Nadu team-mate R Ashwin.While this was Washington’s maiden Test five-for and his best figures in first-class cricket, the three wickets took Ashwin past Nathan Lyon’s 530 in 25 fewer Tests. The two could be involved in a showdown later in the year in Australia, but right now India were in a fight to defend their 18-series winning streak at home. Washington proved to be just the ally he needed.R Ashwin didn’t take much time to get among the wickets•BCCI

India called up a second offspinner from outside the squad ostensibly to lengthen their batting without compromising on taking the ball away from left-hand batters, but two left-hand batters in the top order – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra – still scored fifties and threatened to take New Zealand to a big total after winning the toss on a track on which batting last won’t be fun. New Zealand were 138 for 2 when Ashwin got Conway, and 197 for 3 when Washington accounted for Ravindra.As the series moved from Bengaluru to Pune, the clouds, seam and extra bounce all disappeared. There was no concept of good-toss-to-lose here. Nothing is ever easy in Test cricket, but this was one of the easier starts to an innings with the openers racing to 30 in seven overs without any trouble. But Ashwin was introduced early, and it took him just five balls to drift one in and then turn it past the outside edge to trap Tom Latham lbw.There was turn from the good part of the pitch, but not consistent. The partnership between Conway and Will Young looked threatening, but a sharp review demanded by short leg Sarfaraz Khan returned a faint touch of the glove to send Young back. Now Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja kept troubling the batters: in the 11 overs they bowled in tandem, they drew 24 false shots and conceded just 30 runs.Rachin Ravindra got to yet another milestone in his fledgling Test career•BCCI

Post-lunch, when India started with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington, runs came freely: 35 off the eight overs. Ashwin brought control first and then the wicket of Conway. Again the ball turned, but this time it was the drift and dip that put Conway out of position, and the turn made him look like pushing at a ball he didn’t need to play.Ravindra, Player of the Match in Bengaluru, brought New Zealand much-needed solidity because Daryl Mitchell was extremely uncertain at the start of his innings. He survived an lbw on umpire’s call, played risky sweeps of both kinds, and only looked comfortable after 20 balls or so. Ravindra, though, gave the bowlers nothing. Akash Deep got close to getting him with at short midwicket but the hit was too ferocious to catch for a fielder so close. An outside edge after two bouncers managed to beat slip and brought up his fifty.Ten minutes before tea, now in his third spell, Washington began to get it right. The first ball of this spell turned from middle and off to go past Ravindra’s bat and hit the top of off. Things began to happen now as balls went straight on or turned from the same spot. The penultimate ball before tea beat Tom Blundell’s outside edge, and the last one, slower and wider, turned back in through the gate to take top of middle.Tom Blundell was bowled by Washington Sundar on the stroke of tea•BCCI

Post-tea, Washington bowled in all his glory: at the stumps, but getting variable turn from the pitch. An inspired review accounted for Mitchell in a rare dismissal: offspinner getting an lbw from over the wicket when the batter is forward. As it turned out, this had turned just the right amount to both be hitting him in line and taking the leg stump.Tied down, frequently going back to full balls, Glenn Phillips ended his struggle of 9 off 31 with a chip straight to deep mid-off. Had you seen just the shot and not the field, you wouldn’t have been wrong to assume the mid-off was up tight and he was just looking to clear him.Mitchell Santner hit two sixes in his fighting 33, but Washington kept hitting the stumps at the other end. To Tim Southee he went wide on the crease from around the wicket. The angle beat the outside edge and hit top of off. Ajaz Patel was caught back to a full ball, and played on. To bookend his work, Washington produced another beauty to account for the set batter, Santner: one that pitched on middle and off and took the top of off.The accuracy and variations of pace and seam position, with a little help from the pitch, proved to be too good for New Zealand.With just 10-odd overs to bat to stumps, India shelved some of their ultra-aggressive approach from their last two Tests. Still, Southee swung and seamed one past Rohit Sharma’s watchful bat to take top of off. A small bit of joy for New Zealand at the end of a tough session.

Over the past couple of seasons, Chelsea have signed several players who played for Manchester City’s academy. Cole Palmer was the first, and they have also brought in the likes of Tosin, Jadon Sancho on loan and Liam Delap will be the next addition who fits the trend.

Well, in the last few days, Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers, who also came through City’s academy, has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. Indeed, reports suggest the Blues are ‘prepared to bid for him’ this summer.

However, it is by no means a guarantee that they will sign him. If Rogers is off the table, then Chelsea seem to be lining up the dream alternative.

Chelsea's dream Rogers alternative

Whether or not it was planned, the Blues have certainly signed a number of players from City’s academy but if a move for Rogers doesn’t materialise, they could turn to a player from Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, instead.

Transfer Focus

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

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the West Londoners ‘are seriously considering an approach’ for Xavi Simons, RB Leipzig’s talented, versatile attacker. They are thought to be ‘primed to launch a formal approach’ for the Dutchman after contact with his representatives.

However, they will face tough competition from sides in the Premier League. Two of those hail from London, with rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur interested.

The other is newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool. Chelsea, or indeed any of the other interested sides, will have to pay upwards of £67m, as per another report from TEAMtalk back in March.

Why Simons is the dream Rogers alternative for Chelsea

Despite being just 22 years of age, Simons has been a key player once again for German outfit Leipzig. The versatile forward, who was born in Amsterdam, overcame injury issues to put in some excellent performances in the 2024/25 campaign, showcasing why he is “one of the best 10s in the world” in the words of one analyst on social media.

His numbers speak for themselves. In 33 appearances across all competitions last season, he managed 11 goals and eight assists. When you break that down further and look at his numbers in the Bundesliga, they read ten goals and seven assists, in just 25 games.

Simons’ goal and assist per game tally last term in the German top flight was impressive. In total, he averaged 0.67 goal involvements per game, showing excellent consistency throughout the campaign.

Interestingly, that is a better goals and assist ratio per game than Rogers. Last term for Villa, the England international played 37 games in the Premier League, scoring and assisting 19 times. That left him with a tally of 0.52 goals and assists per game, some way under Simons’ tally.

It is perhaps worth mentioning that the Englishman played over 20 more games than Simons last term.

He was also successful in the Champions League, a competition where the Dutchman struggled. Rogers contributed to seven goals, including a hat-trick against Celtic in the group stage.

One thing that is quite similar between the two players is their versatility. In the 2024/25 campaign, Simons played as both a number 10 and a left-winger, with Rogers slotting in the same roles, as well as playing as a right-winger and a number nine.

Interestingly, there is evidence to suggest that Simons would be a perfect alternative to Rogers when looking at the FBref underlying stats. For example, the Leipzig star averages more key passes per 90 minutes, with 2.13 to Rogers’ 1.47.

There is no doubt that SImons is a “magic” player, something Statman Dave once said about him. He would add a goal threat and creativity to this Chelsea attack, whilst being able to play in numerous different positions.

At just 22 years of age, he will surely only get better and grow into the project at Stamford Bridge. If Rogers is unattainable this summer, then surely Simons is the perfect alternative.

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At 36, he is the youngest ICC chair and he was elected unopposed in August

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2024

Jay Shah has begun his tenure as ICC chair as of December 1. He takes over from Greg Barclay over the weekend, with the decision on the venue for the 2025 Champions Trophy imminent.”I am honoured to take on the role of ICC chair and grateful for the support and trust of the ICC directors and member boards,” Shah said in a statement on his first day in the role. “This is an exciting time for the sport as we prepare for the LA28 Olympic Games and work to make cricket more inclusive and engaging for fans worldwide.”We are at a critical juncture with the coexistence of multiple formats and the need to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. Cricket holds immense potential globally, and I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and Member countries to seize these opportunities and take the sport to new heights.”Related

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Shah was elected unopposed and at the age of 36 he is the youngest ICC chair. Before moving to the ICC, he was the BCCI secretary, and it is not yet known who will succeed him in that role. He also served as the president of the Asian Cricket Council and as chair of the ICC’s finance and commercial affairs committee.A significant decision immediately facing the ICC is the venue of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is supposed to be Pakistan. Imran Khwaja, the ICC deputy chair, has been acting as the interim chair and presided over the short board meeting on Friday. It is expected he will see through the Champions Trophy issue as the interim chair.The tournament is scheduled to begin on February 19 and the fixtures haven’t been announced yet following the BCCI’s refusal to send the Indian team to play in Pakistan, citing government advice. The PCB had been firm in its stance that it wanted to host all the Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, after it sent a team to play the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, but a compromise may be reached where all the matches involving India may be played at a neutral venue. A final decision is expected imminently.

Bangladesh batter was dropped from the Champions Trophy squad on Sunday morning, and scored a BPL hundred later that day

Mohammad Isam13-Jan-2025Bangladesh batter Litton Das has accepted that he was dropped from the ODI squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy because of his poor form. Bangladesh announced their squad on Sunday morning and later that day Litton smashed an unbeaten 125 off 55 balls for Dhaka Capital against Durbar Rajshahi in the BPL.”The Champions Trophy selection wasn’t in my control,” Litton said after his performance. “The selectors took the call. They decide whom to play. My job is to perform. I haven’t been able to do that. I think I was a bit upset about it. I have the same mindset before and after the game today. The day has already passed. I have played a good knock but it’s in the past. I start from zero again. I will keep working hard, let’s see what happens next.”I was given a clear message. Maybe not from the selectors but it is easy to find out why I wasn’t picked in the team. I was dropped because I wasn’t performing. There’s nothing to hide about it. Basic, normal.”Related

• Rangpur ride to seven in seven; Litton, Usman and Saifuddin put on a show

• Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan slam tons to take Dhaka Capitals to record total

• Litton and Shakib left out of Bangladesh's Champions Trophy squad

Litton hasn’t made it out of single digits in his last seven ODI innings and his previous 50-plus score was in October 2023. “Fans will support me but then when I don’t do well, people will be negative. That’s not really my concern,” he said. “I am focused on what I need to do. I haven’t been playing well, so I need to improve my game. I won’t change overnight, so I have to keep trying. People will love it when I score runs.”I am not out there to prove to anyone. I only look for improvement. I don’t think I was playing well for the last few months. I will try to become more consistent from this point, especially after this innings.”Litton began the BPL season poorly with scores of 31, 0, 2 and 9 before making 73 and 125 not out in consecutive games. The hundred helped Dhaka Capital end a run of six consecutive defeats.His unbeaten 125 contained 10 fours and nine sixes and his 241-run opening stand with Tanzid Hasan was the second highest partnership in men’s T20 cricket. Litton credited Shahin, a member of the Dhaka support staff who has given him throwdowns for years, for helping him out of his rut.”Shahin has been working in the [Dhaka Capital]) team. He has worked with Comilla Victorians for the last three years … He helps me in training all the time, and passes on information from time to time. He is capable of pointing out a batter’s mistake. That’s why I thanked him. But listen, please don’t make a news that he has now become a coach.”Litton believes Dhaka’s 149-run win against Rajshahi will help them perform better in the second half of the BPL season. “We have a good team but we haven’t been able to click so far. I think today was the first time we performed as a unit, both with bat and ball. We still have five matches left. Two teams are at the top, while the rest are around the same points. I think our run rate will improve after this game. We got our rhythm going. I don’t know if we can win the next games, but we feel more confident.”

Shaheen returned to bat despite hurting his knee but could not win the match for Lions

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2024Dolphins ensured they did not bow out of the Champions Cup without a win, as they beat Lions by 16 runs in the last league game of the tournament.With Lions needing 81 from five overs with three wickets in hand, a Dolphins win seemed a mere formality. But Khushdil Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, batting with an injured knee, threatened to pull off a heist. The pair hit seven sixes and two fours in the next four overs to reduce the equation to 23 needed from the final over. But Abbas Afridi held his nerve to give his side a consolation win.It must have been a no-brainer for Dolphins to bat after winning the toss; the teams batting first are yet to lose a game in the tournament. Dolphins lost Sahibzada Farhan in the sixth over but Muhammad Hurraira and Muhammad Akhlaq added 77 in 10.1 overs to set the platform.Hurraira scored 47 off 41 balls and Akhlaq 52 off 50. After the two fell in quick succession, Umar Amin took over. Despite Lions making regular breakthroughs, he found enough support from the lower middle order to steer Dolphins ahead.By the time Amin fell, for 75 in the 42nd over, Dolphins had 275 on the board. Even though they were all out in the last over, they had posted a challenging 326.In response, Abdullah Shafique and Rohail Nazir gave Lions a steady start of 78 in 13.3 overs. Nazir was the aggressor, scoring 62 in 70 balls.After 22 overs, Lions were well placed on 125 for 1 but Saud Shakeel dismissed Nazir and Omair Yousuf in his back-to-back overs. That derailed Lions’ chase.Lions needed 100 in the last ten overs with four wickets in hand. Then, a Faheem Ashraf delivery hit Shaheen on the left knee and he had to retire hurt. He returned at the fall of the next wicket, in the 45th over, but struggled with running between the wickets.That did not seem to matter as he and Khushdil dealt in boundaries. Shaheen hit Mir Hamza for back-to-back sixes in the 47th over. Khushdil went one better against Abbas in the next. But despite their best efforts, Lions fell short of their target.

Vic Marks’ gentleness belies the incisiveness of his observations on the game. His autobiography is an inside look at the fiery Somerset dressing room of the late ’70s, and more besides

Paul Edwards17-Nov-2019As though living up to his reputation, Vic Marks begins this delightful book by recalling an occasion in 1974 when he marvelled at a cricketer more talented than himself. Admittedly the player in question was Viv Richards, who was better than almost everybody, but it is still a typical observation from an allrounder who frequently gave the impression that he could not believe he was mixing with such cracks. Behind the gentle exterior, one might conclude, there is an even more gentle soul not trying terribly hard to get out.But there are two misconceptions here. The first is pardonable but obvious: it is that Marks approximated to a run-of-the-mill county professional (in itself a noble calling, of course) when in fact he was a bloody fine cricketer, good enough to play six Tests and 34 one-day internationals for England and to become only the second Englishman after Tony Lock to play in a winning Sheffield Shield side. Clearly Rod Marsh and the other Western Australia selectors knew a player when they saw one.Marks, himself, of course, is having none of this and often writes as though his achievements remain mysterious to him. Five years before his engagement with the state side, he played grade cricket in Perth for Bayswater. In one match against Claremont Cottesloe he took the first wicket. His account continues as follows: “We bowled another sixty-two overs after the interval, during which Claremont were dismissed for 118 and the scorecard reveals that my figures were 34.1-21-28-9. Well, it must have turned a bit, I suppose, and I did not bowl much rubbish. Even so, at this distance it’s hard to imagine how this ever came about.”The other error is to suppose that an apparently mild man has written a similarly noncommittal autobiography, when in fact this book contains all the acute insight and firm judgements that readers have come to expect from its author. And Marks has some fine material with which to work. He played alongside some of the best and most ebullient talents of the late 20th century and experienced both the joy and misery of the England tourist. Here he is on the 1982-83 Ashes trip: “It was a wretched time. I can understand how cricketers are more likely to become depressed on tour… The temptation is to conclude that if you keep playing badly you must be a bad person.”Allen and UnwinFortunately, the achievements in Marks’ career outnumbered the disappointments, and his marvellously wry humour is never far away. He is a master of the paragraph that recounts an event only for the final sentence to offer a pleasing contrast or dry observation on all that has gone before. In 1979, Somerset reached the final of the Gillette Cup and the team invited their long-time fan John Cleese to join them at Lord’s. Marks recalls that their guest “sat quietly in a corner of the dressing room, anxious not to be a distraction. A year or two later Jeffrey Archer would not be quite so reticent.” Or there is this cherished reminiscence from Marks’ schooldays at Blundell’s, where he was taught English literature by John Patrick: “When I wrote the required essay on Othello, for example, there would be John’s curt assessment at the bottom. ‘Not too bad… but where are the quotes?’ – a refrain I have heard from a succession of sports editors a few decades later.”If contains three fine chapters on its author’s experiences in the media, its most heartfelt passages concern Somerset cricket, its triumphs in the era of Richards, Joel Garner and Ian Botham, and its subsequent civil war. Marks is especially acute, here, not least because he was one of the few men who could talk to the captain, Peter Roebuck, who was one of his oldest friends in the game, and also to the skipper’s soon to be sworn enemy, Botham. (Not that it did a scrap of good.) His analysis of Roebuck’s part in the business is objective, tough and rather moving. “The club had been torn asunder and it took a long time to recover… I remained friends with him but there was always a tension on this issue. He always sought affirmation from me that he had taken the right course in 1986 and I was never able to give it to him.”Thankfully Marks is still enthralled by the game and still cares enough about it to reserve some of his sharpest analysis for The Hundred, which he dismisses as “a patronising gimmick rather than a radical change”, and one that will result in even fewer first-class games being played in the prime months of June, July and August. Marks views the innovation as unnecessary, and that is putting a kind gloss on his prose. He remains the pleasantest of press-box companions, yet behind the engaging exterior lies a sharp mind whose thoughts are clearly explained in this fine book. His deepest emotions regarding the game are revealed in his two cricketing cravings: “that Somerset should win the Championship and that the Championship should still be worth winning”. Most supporters of the game would be happy to see the first of these satisfied but accommodating the second would meet with near unanimous approval. Vic has spoken for us all.Original Spin
By Vic Marks
Allen and Unwin
336 pages, £20