Meredith shines with career-best haul for pacesetters Tasmania

Ben McDermott was involved in another strong opening stand to all-but wrap up victory

AAP30-Sep-2022Tasmania emerged as the early season pacesetters in the Marsh Cup after a super performance from paceman Riley Meredith and another half-century from Ben McDermott in a six-wicket win over Queensland.Meredith took two wickets in his first spell and three in the second after Tasmania captain Jordan Silk put Queensland in at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field.The hosts were skittled for 164 off 44.1 overs and Tasmania reached their target with 18.4 overs to spare to earn a second bonus point from as many games. Queensland have started the competition with two losses.Related

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Openers McDermott (70 off 83) and Caleb Jewell (43 off 37) put on 94 from 15.3 overs, their second big stand in as many games following 198 against South Australia and effectively scuppered Queensland’s hopes of defending their modest total.Australian T20 and ODI representative McDermott struck ten fours and a six in a typically fluent and powerful innings following his 71 against the Redbacks, who Jewell made 126 against.Tasmania lost 3 for 1 in eight balls with Michael Neser dismissing both Silk and Mac Wright for a duck in the same over. Jake Doran and Beau Webster steered them home, with the latter ending the match with a six.Tasmania’s pace quartet extracted movement from the wicket and were backed up by some high quality catching and ground fielding, and left-arm spinner Tom Andrews.Meredith, who represented Australia in ODI and T20I formats last year, returned career-best limited overs figures. The 25-year-old quick bowled five maidens across his two spells, troubling the Bulls with his length, line, movement and pace.Tom Rogers followed up his five wicket haul in Wednesday’s win over South Australia, with 3 for 32 off 8.1 overs.Mark Steketee, batting at No. 9, top-scored for Queensland with 35 not out off 36 balls, notching his highest domestic one-day competition total.Queensland couldn’t muster a partnership any higher than 18 until their ninth-wicket pair of Steketee and Xavier Bartlett added 48 to rescue them from 8 for 95.So effective was the Tasmania attack it took 22 overs before a Queensland batter reached 20 and seven of the top eight were dismissed for under 14.Max Bryant (26 off 40) was the only specialist batter to make a start. Test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, who was lbw to Meredith, were dismissed for 13 and 10 respectively.

Newcastle planning £33m offer for "dangerous" star who destroyed Liverpool

In what would complete their frontline, Newcastle United are now reportedly planning a €40m (£33m) offer to sign a Champions League winger who became one of few players to get the better of Arne Slot’s Liverpool side recently.

Newcastle transfer news

It certainly looks as though the Magpies are gearing up for the summer after enduring a frustratingly quiet last two windows. Currently just two points away from the Premier League’s top four, those at St James’ Park could yet get the chance to hand Eddie Howe the reinforcements that he so desperately needed the last time that his side competed on the European stage.

Liverpool's CaoimhinKelleher

On that front, the transfer rumours have already been coming thick and fast with the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher threatening to steal the headlines. The Liverpool shot-stopper looks destined to depart Anfield when Giorgi Mamardashvili arrives from Valencia in the summer and Newcastle could take full advantage to end their goalkeeper concerns.

Newcastle now racing Barcelona to sign "unreal" gem dubbed Swedish Messi

He’s a rising star…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 11, 2025

It’s at St James’ Park that Kelleher could yet be reunited with a familiar face who he recently conceded against too. According to TuttoSport, Newcastle are now planning a €40m (£33m) offer to sign Johan Bakayoko from PSV Eindhoven this summer.

The young right-winger has impressed once again this season and was recently the star of the show as PSV defeated Liverpool in a 3-2 thriller. Cutting back on his right foot and sitting both Andrew Robertson and Jarell Quansah down, Bakayoko scored one of the goals of the Champions League group phase.

Now, the Belgian could get the chance to square off against the Reds more often with Newcastle reportedly set to swoop in. Meanwhile, by welcoming Bakayoko, Newcastle could form one of the deadliest trios in the Premier League.

"Dangerous" Bakayoko would complete Newcastle attack

Whilst Jacob Murphy has undoubtedly proved many wrong in the current campaign, there is still an argument that Newcastle lack an elite right-wing option, which is exactly what Bakayoko would provide for years to come. Described as “dangerous” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the young winger is destined to compete among Europe’s elite and could take Newcastle with him.

With 10 goals and three assists to his name so far this season, the 21-year-old would slot straight in next to Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak to form a stunning front three and one capable of taking Newcastle to another level.

Whether their reported planned offer is enough to lure PSV into a sale remains to be seen, but Bakayoko should certainly sit top of Newcastle’s wishlist when the summer arrives. The winger himself, meanwhile, looks set to have quite the decision to make regarding his future.

Sunrisers Hyderabad release Kane Williamson ahead of IPL 2023 auction

He endured a disappointing 2022 season after the franchise spent INR 14 crore to retain him

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Nov-2022Sunrisers Hyderabad have released Kane Williamson, their captain and most expensive player during the 2022 IPL campaign. The New Zealand captain spent eight years at the franchise, scoring 2101 runs at an average of 36.22 and a strike rate of 126.03. He played 76 matches for Sunrisers and captained them 46 times.Letting go of Williamson will free up a significant chunk of Sunrisers’ purse ahead of the 2023 auction as they look to rebuild after a disappointing 2022 campaign where they finished eighth on the points table on the 10-team table with only six wins in 14 games. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Sunrirsers will keep their options open about buying back Williamson at the auction.Related

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Williamson was one of three players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2022 auction: Sunrisers spent INR 14 crore – the highest price paid to retain an overseas player in the IPL – to keep hold of him, and INR 4 crore each to retain Abdul Samad and Umran Malik.Sunrisers’ move to make Williamson their first retained player was a contentious one. It meant the franchise let go of the Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan, who it is learned wanted to be the first retention pick having been a serial match-winner for them.But Sunrisers prized Williamson’s skills as top-order anchor and captain. In the absence of David Warner – who was serving a one-year ban imposed by Cricket Australia for his role in the Newlands ball-tampering episode – Williamson had led Sunrisers to the IPL final in 2018, a season when he finished as the IPL’s most prolific batter with 735 runs at an average of 52.50 and a strike rate of 142.44. When Sunrisers’ long relationship with Warner soured midway through the 2021 season, they made Williamson their full-time captain.As things turned out, the 2022 season was a struggle for Williamson with the bat. Nursing a troublesome elbow condition, he scored 216 runs in 13 innings at an average of 19.63 and a strike rate of 93.50. Of all batters who faced at least 100 balls in the tournament, his strike rate was the worst. His performance had a bearing on Sunrisers’ overall season as well.

Ex-Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag emerges as 'serious candidate' for Bayer Leverkusen job as Xabi Alonso edges closer to joining Real Madrid

Ex-Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is reportedly a 'serious candidate' to replace Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso if he joins Real Madrid.

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Ten Hag sacked at Man UtdLinked with Leverkusen jobAlonso may move to MadridFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg states that Ten Hag is a 'serious candidate' at Leverkusen but they have not held concrete talks with the Dutchman. They have, however, 'gathered information' on the 55-year-old, as the German giants await a decision on Alonso's next move amid interest from Madrid.

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Ten Hag's tenure at United, which ended last October, may be looking more favourable by the day as Ruben Amorim struggles to get a tune out of the Premier League giants. Leverkusen may be an ideal next move for the former Ajax boss but Kicker reports that he and ex-Barcelona manager Xavi are 'hot candidates' for the role.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kicker adds that Ten Hag may have an advantage in this job pursuit as he speaks German after spending time as a coach at Bayern Munich earlier in his career. They state he is the Bundesliga side's number one candidate.

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All eyes will be on whether Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti leaves the La Liga outfit for the Brazil national team post, paving the way for Alonso to replace him and potentially for Ten Hag to come back into management.

India look to limit lapses as they eye another bilateral T20I series win

Sri Lanka will hope for an improved show at a venue they have had success in the past

Hemant Brar04-Jan-2023Big pictureWhen India announced their squad for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, their seam bowling looked thin on experience. Arshdeep Singh, who made his international debut less than six months ago, was the leader of the pack, which had Umran Malik and two uncapped bowlers in Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar.Then, on the day of the first T20I, Arshdeep was unavailable as he failed to recover fully from a viral illness. But Mavi and Malik stepped up to help India defend 162. Mavi didn’t shy away from mixing his seam-up deliveries with slower ones. He struck twice in the powerplay, and finished with figures of 4 for 22. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, he was easily the MVP of the match.Related

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Given his high pace and lack of accuracy, Malik can be expensive at times. But in the first T20I, he bowled hard lengths to pick up 2 for 27 from his four overs. One of those overs was at the death, where he tilted the game towards India with Dasun Shanaka’s wicket.The duo’s performances meant the hosts took a 1-0 lead despite lapses in batting and fielding. At one stage, it looked like they would struggle to reach even 150 after being reduced to 94 for 5 in the 15th over. While defending, Sanju Samson dropped a catch, and their ground fielding was found wanting as well.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have lost their previous 11 completed T20Is against India in India. But they will draw confidence from the fact that in the first game, their spinners, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, outbowled their Indian counterparts, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel. That helped them restrict India to a below-par total at the traditionally high-scoring Wankhede. And despite their top order failing, Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne got them to within one shot of victory.Coincidentally, their last win against India in India, in 2016, also came at the MCA stadium in Pune, the venue for Thursday’s game. Sri Lanka will hope for a similar result to keep the series alive.Wanindu Hasaranga was once again in his elements in the first T20I•BCCIForm guideIndia WTWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLWLLWatch on ESPN Player in the UK

WATCH the second India vs Sri Lanka T20I LIVE

In the spotlightHarshal Patel broke into the Indian side on the back of his excellent death bowling during the 2021 IPL. But in the recent past, batters seem to have figured him out. Arshdeep’s rise meant he didn’t get a single game at the 2022 T20 World Cup, even with Jasprit Bumrah, India’s first-choice death bowler, out of the side with a back injury. He needs to put in a good show in the remaining two games of the series, for once Bumrah is back, it will be even tougher to find a place in the XI.Bhanuka Rajapaksa was Sri Lanka’s leading run-getter during their Asia Cup 2022 campaign, scoring 191 runs at a strike rate of 149.21. But since then, his returns have plummeted. At the T20 World Cup, he managed only 125 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 119.04. He fared even worse in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League: 95 runs in seven innings at 105.55. Sri Lanka will need him back among runs if they are to give themselves the best chance of winning the series.Harshal Patel has been off-colour in recent times•BCCITeam newsSamson has been ruled out of the series with a left knee injury, with Rahul Tripathi likely to take his place and make his India debut. Jitesh Sharma has been brought into the squad as wicketkeeping cover. Also, if Arshdeep is available, Malik may have to sit out.India (probable): 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Shivam Mavi, 10 Arshdeep Singh/Umran Malik, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalSri Lanka may consider bringing in Lahiru Kumara for Kasun Rajitha, who went for 47 in his four wicketless overs in the first T20I.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha/Lahiru Kumara, 11 Dilshan MadushankaPitch and conditionsUnlike many other venues, teams batting first at the MCA stadium, across all T20s, have won more games than chasing teams: 34 vs 29. On a black-soil surface here, spinners have done slightly better than fast bowlers, their economy being 7.37 as compared to 7.97 for seamers. Once again, there is not much dew expected, with the temperature at night hovering around 18°C.Stats and trivia Among those who bowled at least 20 overs at the death (overs 17-20) in T20s last year, Arshdeep’s economy of 8.40 was the fifth-best in the world. If India win on Thursday, they will extend their unbeaten streak in bilateral T20I series to 11. The last time they lost a bilateral series was in 2021, when Sri Lanka beat them 2-1 at home.

Real Madrid youngster Victor Munoz brutally told to 'retire' by angry fans after missing chance to equalise late on in crucial Clasico defeat to Barcelona

Victor Munoz has been targeted online by Real Madrid fans after he missed a golden opportunity to score in Sunday's 4-3 loss against rivals Barcelona.

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Munoz had good chance in the 89th minuteSome fans took out their anger on InstagramThe 21-year-old forced to block commentsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Real winger Munoz missed a crucial scoring chance in the 89th minute of El Clasico on Sunday, with his side trailing 4-3 against their bitter rivals at the time. Carlo Ancelotti's side failed to find an equaliser and after the loss, which has all but ended Los Blancos' title hopes, a section of Madrid fans directed abuse at Munoz on social media, with some even calling for the 21-year-old to retire. In response, Munoz has since disabled the comments on his Instagram account.

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Munoz came on for an injured Vinicius Junior in the 88th minute and was immediately presented with a golden opportunity. Kylian Mbappe threaded a sublime through ball into the box, finding Munoz in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. However, the youngster couldn't keep his composure and fired his shot off target, with Real failing to find an equaliser.

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Notably, Sunday's Clasico marked Munoz's La Liga debut. The winger has been a key player for Real Madrid's Castilla side this season, scoring 10 goals and providing seven assists in 31 appearances.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Real Madrid's defeat to Barcelona on Sunday left them seven points behind the league leaders with just three games remaining. With the title now out of their hands, Los Blancos must win all of their remaining fixtures and hope Barcelona drop points to have any chance of defending their crown. They will next host Mallorca on Wednesday, May 14.

Pep must sell Man City star who Txiki thinks is an "incredible talent"

Pep Guardiola must be ruthless in the transfer window this summer if he is to take Manchester City back to the top of English football.

The Spaniard splashed millions on four new signings during the winter window – most notably Omar Marmoush – and while they all look promising, it might take a few months for the four to properly gel.

Over the years, he hasn’t been shy about spending money on bringing the best talent to the club, that’s for sure.

Manchester City’s most expensive signings under Guardiola

The former Barcelona manager has signed a host of players for over £60m in his spell as City boss. Ruben Dias cost £62m back in the summer of 2020 and instantly bolstered his defensive options, now captaining the club on regular occasions.

One of the most important signings made by the manager was that of Rodri, who cost £62.8m in 2019. He may have taken a year or two to settle, but now he is definitively the best player in the world, having won the Ballon d’Or a few months ago.

Josko Gvardiol was the second-most expensive signing made by Guardiola, splashing out £77.5m to secure his signature after some impressive showings during the 2022/23 campaign and he’s only gone from strength to strength, scoring ten goals from full-back over the last season and a half.

Only once has the manager spent £100m or more on a player since taking over the club in 2016 and this came three and a half years ago. Jack Grealish emerged as one of the brightest talents in the Premier League, leading to City spending £100m on him in 2021.

The Etihad side became the first English club to spend this amount on a single player, with Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain, delighted to sign him, admitting that Grealish was an “incredible talent” upon his arrival.

Despite this lavish fee, the Englishman hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Why Man City must now sell Jack Grealish

The former Villa talent scored five goals in his first season, winning his first Premier League title in the process. Since then it has been steady progress. That was, until, the last year or so.

Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish celebrate

That debut campaign was followed up with 16 goal contributions during the 2022/23 season, as City became the second English side to win the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies.

Since then, however, things haven’t been great for the 29-year-old. A tally of six goal contributions was a poor return last season and this stagnation has crept into his game throughout the current term.

The winger has netted just twice, against PSG and Salford City, while starting only 14 games in all competitions under Guardiola.

Despite this lack of impact on the pitch, Grealish is currently earning a staggering £300k-per-week at City, ranking him joint-third out of everyone at the club.

Only Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland – two of City’s most influential players – are ahead of him, suggesting that Guardiola must move Grealish on this summer.

Goals

0

Assists

1

Key passes per game

1.4

Big chances created

2

Total duels won per game

2.8

Shots per game

0.8

He was previously linked with a move back to Aston Villa during the winter transfer window, but nothing came of it.

With two years left on his current contract, will the manager cash in this summer? He should do.

Pep can unearth his own Saliba in Man City star who's a "future GOAT"

Manchester City may already have their own version of William Saliba at The Etihad.

ByDan Emery Mar 3, 2025

Worse than Marmoush v Liverpool: Pep must finally axe 5/10 Man City man

Manchester City's pursuit of a top four finish in the Premier League was dealt a blow after they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at The Etihad on Sunday.The Cityzens are now level on points with Newcastle United, who are fifth, and only one point ahead of Bournemouth and Chelsea in sixth and seventh respectively. Goals from Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai secured all three points for the away side on an evening to forget for Pep Guardiola and his men, who failed to match Arne Slot's team's quality.

City swooped to sign Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt in the January transfer window, but the exciting addition could not make the difference against the Reds on Sunday.Omar Marmoush's performance against LiverpoolThe Egypt international lined up just behind Phil Foden as a second striker and had mixed success, with some moments of quality and other moments to forget.Marmoush tried to get at the Liverpool defence and did manage to complete two of his three attempted dribbles, whilst he also got four shots off during the match.However, only two of those shots troubled Alisson and the Brazil international kept hold of both efforts, as the attacker's shots did not have enough quality on them to seriously trouble the goalkeeper.Marmoush, who completed 89% of his attempted passes, did not create any 'big chances' for his teammates, though, and lost five of his nine duels, as he struggled with the physicality of the game at times.These statistics show that the former Bundesliga star, who recently scored a hat-trick against Newcastle, caused some problems for the Reds, but ultimately did not do enough to earn a positive result for his side.The 26-year-old dynamo had showcased his quality in front of goal, as shown in the highlights above, against the Magpies, but he could not replicate that with any of his four shots this time around.Whilst it was not a brilliant display by Marmoush against Liverpool, attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was even worse than the January recruit with his showing at The Etihad.Kevin De Bruyne's performance against LiverpoolThe Belgian star had racked up four goals and nine assists in 19 career games against Liverpool in all competitions prior to the clash at The Etihad on Sunday.De Bruyne was once a player who could step up to win City matches against the best teams, as evidenced by his excellent record against the Reds, but his performance this time around illustrated his decline on the pitch.In 66 minutes on the pitch, the former Chelsea talent did not create a single 'big chance' for his teammates or register an effort on goal to test Alisson. In fact, his shot at the end of the first half was closer to the top tier of the stands than it was to the Liverpool goal.

Vs Liverpool Kevin De Bruyne

Minutes played 66 Pass accuracy 79% Possession lost 11x Big chances created 0 Shots on target 0 Duels won 2/4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, de Bruyne was even worse than Marmoush against Liverpool, as he had fewer shots on target, completed a lower percentage of his passes, and won half as many duels – showing that he offered less than the Egyptian on and off the ball.The Express handed him a player rating of just 5/10 and wrote that he 'struggled' to deal with the intensity of the game, which is backed up by his dismal statistics.Man City supporters have become accustomed to seeing the Belgian magician consistently delivering quality performances, goals, and assists, but he has been far from his best of late, with one goal – against Leyton Orient – and zero assists in his last seven matches.imagelargeChalkboardFootball FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game. His contract at The Etihad comes to an end in the summer, just shy of ten years at the club, and Guardiola must permanently move on from the midfielder by not attempting to pin him down to a contract extension.Why Manchester City should let De Bruyne goThe Spanish head coach should ruthlessly ditch the Belgium international and allow him to leave on a free transfer, because his form has declined over the past 18 months or so and he is one of the highest earners at the club.Per Capology, de Bruyne earns £400k-per-week, ranking him second and only behind Erling Haaland (£525k-per-week) at City, and they have not got value for money on that this season.De Bruyne has racked up 173 assists in his Manchester City career in all competitions, with some of his best included in the clips above, but he appears to be past his creative peak.He has created 11 'big chances' in 18 Premier League appearances this season, which is a far cry from the 21 'big chances' he provided his teammates with in the same number of games in the division last term.

Highest-earning attackers in the Premier League Player Weekly wage PL goals + assists (24/25)

Erling Haaland £525k 22 Kevin de Bruyne £400k 8 Mohamed Salah £350k 41 Bruno Fernandes £300k 12 Jack Grealish £300k 1

Wages via Capology & stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, only Jack Grealish – another City forward – has produced less than de Bruyne in the final third among the top-earning attackers in the top-flight this season.This suggests that the Cityzens are not getting bang for their buck with the Belgian hero, who appears to be past his best and turns 34 in June, as players earning a similar amount of money to him have provided their teams with far more quality – in goals and assists – in the Premier League.Now could be the perfect time for City to part ways with the club legend, upon the expiry of his contract in the summer, and his departure could provide another player with a chance to step up and become a new icon for the supporters moving forward, whether that is Marmoush, Phil Foden, Savinho, or potentially a new signing.It will then be down to the recruitment team and Guardiola to unearth the next de Bruyne, whether that is a new signing or an emerging talent from the academy, to bolster the midfield in the 2025/26 campaign and beyond. Now worth more than Doku: Man City must regret losing "wonderkid" for £0

Man City have moved on a number of young stars in recent years

ByJoe Nuttall Feb 22, 2025

SA20 announces prize money of over USD 4 million for inaugural season

“It is a further indication of SA20’s ambitions to positively impact South African cricket,” league commissioner Graeme Smith says

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2022The inaugural season of South Africa’s SA20 league will carry a total prize purse of Rand 70 million (upwards of USD 4 million). That, as a CSA media statement said, is “the biggest prize pool in the history of South African franchise cricket”.Graeme Smith, the SA20 commissioner, said, “We have worked hard to offer a rewarding and unprecedented incentive in the first season of Betway SA20. This is a first for South African cricket, we have never had this type of competitive incentive in our domestic cricket and it is a further indication of SA20’s ambitions to positively impact South African cricket.”Related

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The tournament will run from January 10 – with MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals facing off at Newlands in Cape Town in the first game – to February 11, when the final will be played at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. A total of 33 matches – two round-robin leagues, two semi-finals, and the final – will be played in just over a month across South Africa.The six teams in the fray are all owned by groups that own teams in the IPL: MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals share owners with Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals respectively, while the others are Johannesburg Super Kings (Chennai Super Kings), Pretoria Capitals (Delhi Capitals), Durban’s Super Giants (Lucknow Super Giants) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (Sunrisers Hyderabad).Smith has in the past indicated that he hoped the SA20 would do for South African cricket what the IPL has done for Indian cricket in terms of unearthing a pool of players.”I think what we want to create in this league is that there’s so much talent – hope we can develop that talent to play under pressure on a global stage,” he had said at an event in Mumbai earlier this month. “I know I keep talking about the IPL but you look at the amount of strong cricketers that have come through in the IPL.”Looking at trying to find 15 players, hopefully there’s 25-35 players in the next couple of years at a level where it makes the selectors jobs very, very difficult. Those that are used to playing big games, exposed to big games. Unfortunately South Africa has to deal with these questions all the time until they actually win a [global] tournament.”

VIDEO: Yamal joins the Beats by Dre family! Barcelona wonderkid links up with Spanish rapper Morad as CEO of 'Lamine Records' as he follows in footsteps of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland & LeBron James

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has become a Beats by Dre global ambassador, following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and LeBron James.

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Yamal makes Beats debutAppears in advert with Spanish rapper MoradExplains how music helps him 'relax'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Beats by DreWHAT HAPPENED?

Beats have announced the signing of Yamal in a short promotional video showing the Barcelona and Spain wonderkid as the CEO of 'Lamine Records'. Yamal's favourite rapper Morad also makes an appearance, with the pair having grown up in the same Spanish neighbourhood, known as 'The 404'.

In the clip, Lamine is seen wearing a custom pair of Beats Studio Pro headphones inspired by Barca's colours as he shows a group of visitors around a corporate building.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPBeats by DreWHAT LAMINE YAMAL SAID

Yamal said of his new partnership with Beats: "I love music for many reasons: it helps me focus before a match, it also helps me relax, and it's an escape into a world of fun. For me, Beats is a cool, stylish brand that connects with my personality. I'm really happy to be working with them."

Beats' chief marketing officer and head of product, Chris Thorne, added: "Having Lamine as part of the Beats family is a huge honour. Lamine creates magic on the pitch and we know that music is another huge passion for him. We wanted to storytell around his love of music and allow his fun and infectious personality to shine through."

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Yamal has followed Messi's lead by joining the Beats family. The Inter Miami captain also became an ambassador for the company last July, and is one of several major athletes to have featured in Beats campaigns in 2025 alongside Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, NBA icon LeBron James and women's tennis star Qinwen Zheng.

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