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Just when Rangers supporters thought this season couldn’t get any worse for the Ibrox outfit, well it can.

On Thursday night, Russell Martin’s Gers were beaten 2-1 in a Europa League clash at Liebenauer Stadium.

Austrian champions Sturm Graz scored twice in the first half, both times thanks to some absolutely horrendous defending that left Ally McCoist on commentary speechless, while Djeidi Gassama did lash one home immediately after half time, but an equaliser was not forthcoming.

Having lost 1-0 at home to Genk last Thursday, the Light Blues have now started a UEFA Cup or Europa League group stage with back-to-back defeats for the very first time, while Martin’s team have in fact lost five successive European fixtures, conceding 14 goals and scoring only three.

Considering he has won only five matches in charge across all competitions, losing six, supporters wanted the manager gone weeks ago, but was starting Rangers’ summer flop a sackable offence in of itself?

Rangers' continued defensive issues

Credit where credit’s due, this fact comes from Rory Hamilton during his commentary on TNT Sports.

Rangers’ last clean sheet away from home came against Ross County in Dingwall on 8 December, 299 days ago and counting, a streak of 22 matches across all competitions, which equals a club record set in 1897 when Queen Victoria was still on the throne.

Failure to keep a shutout against Falkirk on Sunday would break that 128-year-old record.

Goalkeeper Jack Butland was unceremoniously dropped by interim manager Barry Ferguson last season, but has been Martin’s undisputed number one since his appointment, albeit the England international may feel he should have kept out Tomi Horvat’s opener, a shot that was pretty much straight at him, but squirmed under his body and in.

In fairness, he does have a completely chaotic defence in front of him, with deadline day signing Derek Cornelius wondering what he did to deserve landing on this sinking ship, while 19-year-old Jayden Meghoma, who was hooked at half time in Austria, is not enjoying his time in Glasgow so far much either.

With games against Brann, Roma, Braga, Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and Porto to come in this Europa League campaign, if Rangers continue to defend the way that they are, they will be crashing out in the league phase, having finished up in eighth place as recently as last season.

However, Martin has issues at the other end of the park too, making it bewildering as to why he chose the centre-forward he did.

Rangers striker yet to impress

When 49ers Enterprises completed their takeover of Rangers in the summer, they pledged to invest around £20m into the club, but how much of that has been wasted on Youssef Chermiti?

​​​​​

The Portuguese under-21 international joined the club from Everton on deadline day for a reported fee of £8m, potentially rising to £10m with add-ons.

The Gers’ previous transfer record in the post-liquidation era is the £7.5m paid to Liverpool to secure Ryan Kent’s signature, following an impressive loan spell, with Chermiti’s fee thereby second only to the £12m splurged on Tore André Flo in 2000.

The 21-year-old led the line in Graz, as he did for the visit of Genk a week earlier, but did not impress, as the table below documents.

Shots on target

3

2nd

Hit woodwork

1

1st

xG

0.49

3rd

Duels contested

11

5th

Duels won

5

10th

Touches

24

22nd

Sofascore rating

6

32nd

As the table notes, despite attempting four shots, of which three were on target, Chermiti was not taking these from particularly good positions, hence why his expected goals figure was as low as 0.49, an average of only 0.12 per shot.

He also lost possession eight times, as well as winning less than 50% of his duels, registering a miserly 24 touches, which is fewer than goalkeeper Jack Butland (31), as well as six less than Oliver Antman, who was hooked at half-time.

During commentary for TNT Sport, McCoist outlined his reservations about the signing, saying that he hopes that Chermiti will score 200 or even 300 goals for Rangers, and he would probably have to if he’s to justify the sky-high price-tag.

Well, first and foremost, just one goal would be a start!

He did not score a single goal in two seasons at Everton, albeit he made just 24 appearances, totalling 295 for the Toffees, meaning his last senior goal came for Sporting against Paços de Ferreira on 7 May 2023.

That same day, Todd Cantwell scored the only goal as Michael Beale’s Rangers beat Barry Robson’s Aberdeen 1-0 at Ibrox, while Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic rubber-stamped the title at Tynecastle simultaneously; a lot has changed all round!

When you’ve got a proven reliable goalscorer sat on the bench in Bojan Miovski, who was introduced at half time when it was already too late, Martin’s decision to start Chermiti, when his job is on the line, is frankly baffling.

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Eight years after his last Test, Nair stands on the brink of a comeback backed by dominant domestic and county performances

Shashank Kishore12-Jun-2025

Karun Nair scored a double-century in the first unofficial Test•PA Images via Getty Images

Karun Nair feels “very grateful and fortunate” to have another shot at Test cricket, eight years after he last played in the format.Nair, 33, strengthened his case for a return to the playing XI by scoring a double-century for India A against the England Lions in the first unofficial Test last week in Canterbury.”Feels really special,” Nair told BCCI.tv. “[I’m] Very grateful and fortunate to be able to get this opportunity again. Looking forward to grabbing this opportunity with both hands.”Related

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Nair’s return comes on the back of a mountain of runs for Vidarbha in the 2024-25 season. He made 863 runs at 53.93 in a title-winning Ranji Trophy campaign. Before that, Nair had an impressive 50-over season, hitting five hundreds in eight innings at an average of 389.50 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.At a press conference to announce the Test squad, chief selector Ajit Agarkar cited Nair’s strong domestic performances and familiarity with English conditions as key reasons for his selection. Nair played ten County Championship matches across two seasons (2023-2024) for Northamptonshire, scoring 736 runs at 56.61.”Comebacks are never easy,” head coach Gautam Gambhir told the Test squad prior to their first training session. “The amount of runs you’ve got, the never-give-up attitude – it’s inspiring for the entire team. Welcome back, Karun Nair.”Wednesday marked Nair’s return to the Indian dressing room for the first time since the summer of 2018, when he spent the entire five-match series in England on the bench. His only glimmer of hope on that tour, just before the final Test at The Oval, was dashed when the selectors flew in Hanuma Vihari, who was not part of the original squad, from India and handed him a debut.2:39

Agarkar: Karun’s experience was factor in selection

At the time, Nair had played six Tests for India and had turned his maiden century into a triple-hundred. But this snub took a toll – his domestic form plummeted, runs dried up and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic left him at crossroads. Having been dropped from the Karnataka squad across formats, Nair spent an entire season on the sidelines.His comeback, in many ways, began in England in June 2023. Having made a plea to the game for a second chance, he took up a short stint with Burbage & ER Cricket Club in East Wiltshire in the minor counties, where he scored two hundreds and a half-century in eight innings.A week after he returned home, he received a phone call from a former manager asking if he was available to play in the county circuit. Nair jumped at the opportunity; a valid visa courtesy his club cricket stint allowed him to arrive almost immediately.KL Rahul, Nair’s good friend and Karnataka team-mate, spoke of how his time in England at the time had been lonely and tough.”I’ve known him for a very long time,” Rahul said. “The months he has spent here in the UK playing cricket and how hard and how lonely it was. For him to be able to do all of that and come back into the Indian team is special for him and his family, and friends like us who’ve seen his journey.”It’s very inspiring as well. Hopefully his experience and learnings from country cricket here will hold him in good stead when he plays the Test matches.”Eight years on, as Nair stands on the brink of a comeback, the reality of it still hasn’t completely sunk in.”Not sure actually,” he said of the prospect of returning to India’s starting XI. “I’ll have to experience that feeling myself, just go out there and feel it for myself. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of feelings, ones that I can’t express right now. It’ll be a surreal feeling.”

Manchester United are now on red alert over a deal for a “sensational” England midfielder, who is starting to grow frustrated at his current club.

Man Utd looking to bolster midfield options

Football FanCast recently took a look at five ways Ruben Amorim could save his job, after a disastrous start to the season, and starting Kobbie Mainoo ahead of Manuel Ugarte in central midfield made its way onto the list.

Amorim has been reluctant to give Mainoo much game time up to this point, with the 20-year-old failing to start a Premier League match this season, and Nicky Butt has suggested the youngster hasn’t been “respected” by his manager.

It remains to be seen whether the 40-year-old is willing to reintroduce the England international to the starting XI, but it is clear the manager wants to bolster his midfield options regardless, with a number of targets being identified in recent weeks.

Al-Hilal’s Ruben Neves, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton have all made their way onto the shortlist, but it has now been revealed the Red Devils are also in the race for a different English midfielder.

According to a report from The Boot Room, Man United are now on red alert over a potential deal for Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher, who is starting to become frustrated with his situation at the Spanish club.

Gallagher, an England international, has fallen behind the likes of Koke and Pablo Barrios in the pecking order at Atletico, which could negatively impact his chances of being part of the Three Lions’ 2026 World Cup squad.

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The midfielder is aware that a number of clubs could be in for him this winter, including Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, with journalist Graeme Bailey suggesting a January move could be possible.

Bailey said: “I am told the player would dearly like to make it back into the Atletico Madrid side and that is his priority, but clubs are paying real interest to him and he is very much one to keep an eye on for January.”

Gallagher could be "sensational" signing for Man Utd

A deal for the England international may be relatively expensive, with a £45m asking price previously being touted, but he clearly has what it takes to be a success at Old Trafford.

Unlike Ugarte, the former Crystal Palace man is already proven in the Premier League, making 136 appearances in the competition, during which time he amassed 18 goals and 13 assists.

As such, the 25-year-old, who has been dubbed “sensational” by journalist John Cross, is clearly capable of making an impact on the front foot, but he is also a well-rounded player, as underlined by his performance across several key metrics over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Interceptions

1.52 (88th percentile)

Assists

0.17 (86th percentile)

Tackles

2.43 (73rd percentile)

Gallagher arguably wouldn’t be the flashiest of signings, but he is a proven Premier League midfielder, who clearly gives it his all, having been lauded for his “insane” work rate by Nathan Dyer.

Arsenal have been handed a Noni Madueke injury blow as Mikel Arteta receives some news about the in-form summer signing.

Noni Madueke subbed off half-time with injury in Man City draw

The England winger’s electric start to life in north London has attracted due praise, with Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera arguably standing out as Andrea Berta’s finest purchases thus far.

Arteta has started Madueke in five out of Arsenal’s first six games in all competitions so far, and the England international has repaid that faith by terrorising full-backs with his trickery, burst of pace and initiative in the final third.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

Just months ago, Gunners supporters were protesting the ex-Chelsea star’s arrival with a petition and ‘#NoToMadueke’ movement on social media platform X, but fast-forward to now, and those same fans are now very worried about a potential long-term injury for him.

Madueke has also shined for the Three Lions under Thomas Tuchel on international duty, and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville is among the critics to admit they’ve been left surprised by the 23-year-old’s excellent performances in an Arsenal shirt.

In place of the previously injured Bukayo Saka, Madueke dazzled on the right-wing, but Arteta now faces the prospect of being without him.

The former PSV Eindhoven forward was forced off at half-time in Arsenal’s dramatic 1-1 draw with Man City on Sunday, and there are some fears that Madueke may have suffered an ACL injury.

If that were the case, he’d face months on the sidelines, but luckily for Arteta, it appears his problem isn’t as serious as that.

That being said, he’s still set for a lengthy spell out.

Arsenal dealt Noni Madueke blow as David Ornstein shares news

The reliable David Ornstein reports that Madueke avoided an ACL tear, but will be unavailable for around two months with a knee injury, putting his return date during the November international break, meaning he could play against Tottenham on November 23.

While he is yet to get off the mark in terms of goals or assists, Madueke has been without question one of Arteta’s best players of the campaign so far, so this is undoubtedly a blow for Arsenal.

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The winger was Arsenal’s most threatening player in their 1-0 loss to Liverpool prior to the last international break, before he put in a Man of the Match display against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates, whilst also impressing in the first hour of their 5-0 win over Leeds United.

Arsenal’s new £150,000-per-week star is looking like the player who expensive flop Nicolas Pepe was supposed to be, except Madueke didn’t cost a seismic £72 million to bring in.

There are some suggestions that high-ranking Chelsea chiefs held reservations over selling Madueke to Arsenal, and so far, he’s shown exactly why.

West Ham United “could move” for an “incredible” England international as a replacement for Nayef Aguerd, who may be set for an exit before the transfer deadline.

West Ham eyeing new defender after Aguerd refuses to travel

After spending the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Real Sociedad, Aguerd has come back into the fold this season, starting the opening two Premier League games, during which West Ham conceded a combined eight goals.

However, it is clear the Moroccan has little intention of remaining at the London Stadium for much longer, with the 29-year-old pushing to leave before the deadline, amid interest from the likes of Sunderland, AC Milan and AS Roma.

In fact, the Keinitra-born defender is well-known to have refused to travel to Nottingham Forest for yesterday’s Premier League clash, with the centre-back taking drastic action to try and force through an exit.

However, ExWHUEmployee has now revealed that the club could be hesitant to sanction a departure, should they be unable to find an adequate replacement in time, with Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis among the potential options.

The West Ham insider said: “The club have yet to confirm any bid as yet from Marseille or Sunderland and even if they did would have to make a decision as to whether it is worth accepting and whether a replacement could be lined up in time.

“The club have looked at other defenders and one we exclusively revealed at the start of the window and we still have interest in us Charlie Cresswell, ironically he plays in France for Toulouse.

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"Incredible" Harwood-Bellis could be solid Aguerd replacement

Although the Saints were relegated without putting up much of a fight last season, the 23-year-old clearly enjoyed a decent campaign on a personal level, having picked up his first cap for England, scoring on his debut against Ireland.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola also singled out his former player for high praise last season, saying: “He’s an incredible threat for Southampton from set pieces and a composer when they have the ball because the manager insists the way they have to play, they have to be close, to move differently.”

With Aguerd clearly eager to leave, West Ham shouldn’t stand in his way, should a deal for Harwood-Bellis be possible, and a move wouldn’t break the bank, with a £20m price tag being touted earlier this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have been given a late-summer transfer boost as Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites recruitment team scramble for reinforcements.

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Spurs want to sign a centre-back, playmaker and a new winger (Sky Sports), but bringing in all three is perhaps unlikely at this stage of the window and with such little time remaining.

The north Londoners have found it notoriously difficult already, having seen high-profile blockbuster deals for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze fail in dramatic fashion.

After weeks of talks, Spurs have also got nowhere with their bid for Savinho, as Man City make it crystal clear that the Brazil international is not for sale.

It remains to be seen who they target as an alternative to the 21-year-old, but it is evident who has become their top playmaker target during this final stretch.

According to numerous sources, RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons is in London right now, with both Chelsea and Tottenham pursuing a deal for the highly-rated Netherlands international.

The 22-year-old is valued at around £60 million, which is a similar price that Spurs were once prepared to pay for Eze and Gibbs-White. With there being precious few available playmakers who could truly make a difference for Thomas Frank, Simons has emerged as their potential saving grace.

He racked up 11 goals and eight assists over 33 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig last term, and Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes that Simons is an “unbelievable” player.

Tottenham have now submitted a near-£60m bid for Simons, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, with journalist Graeme Bailey also sharing the player’s stance on joining Frank’s side.

Xavi Simons ready to join Tottenham after talks with his camp

As per the reporter, it is believed that Simons is ready to join Tottenham, who’ve held talks with his representatives, after Chelsea began stalling their deal – with the attacking midfielder growing impatient.

The west Londoners have been in talks for weeks, but there are complications with player sales.

They also haven’t found a full agreement with Leipzig in all of that time, and that has allowed Spurs to move in to hijack their negotiations. Right now, Simons is happy to stop pausing on a move and sign for Tottenham instead, despite already agreeing personal terms with Chelsea.

This flurry of promising developments, including Levy’s offer, means that they could be on the verge of finally signing their desired number 10. However, as we’ve seen with Tottenham, no supporter should celebrate until the ink is dry.

“I think he’s going to have a really good career at the highest level,” said Bayern Munich sporting director, Christoph Freund.

“He has everything, mentality, character and is just an exceptional player.”

كشفت تقارير صحفية، عن قيام نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، بتصرف راقِ تجاه أحد زملائه خلال مباراة تشيلسي، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز يوم السبت الماضي.

واستضاف ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” مباراة فريقي ليفربول وتشيلسي، في قمة منافسات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

وتعرض ليفربول لهزيمة قاتلة أمام تشيلسي بهدفين لهدف، حيث تمكن إستيفاو من تسجيل هدف فوز الفريق اللندني في الدقيقة 95، ليفقد الريدز الصدارة خاصة بعد فوز آرسنال على وست هام بهدفين دون رد.

وشارك محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وتشيلسي بأكملها، ولكنه لم يتمكن من ترك بصمته في ذلك اللقاء، وهو ما جعله يتعرض للكثير من الانتقادات، خاصة مع تراجع مستواه ذلك الموسم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بول سكولز ينضم لقائمة منتقدي محمد صلاح: يقوم بتصرفات سيئة داخل الملعب

وكاد محمد صلاح أن يسجل هدف التعادل لصالح ليفربول، مع بداية الشوط الثاني، بعد تمريرة جيدة من فلوريان فيرتز، ولكن المصري أهدرها بغرابة.

وقال الصحفي سام ماترفيس، بشبكة “talkSPORT” الإنجليزية: “كانت لمسة فيرتز التي مكنته من تمرير كرة عرضية ناحية محمد صلاح، في بداية الشوط الثاني، كانت مثالًا واضحًا على جودة ذلك الشاب”.

وأضاف :”بالمناسبة، إذا نظرتم إلى الإحصائيات وراجعتم بعض المقاييس، فسترون أنه (فلوريان فيرتز) كان يصنع فرصًا كثيرة”.

وواصل: “أتساءل، في الواقع، إن كان الآخرون قد خذلوه، انظروا إلى رد فعل محمد صلاح على إضاعة تلك الفرصة بعد أن مرر له فيرتز الكرة بتلك التمريرة الرائعة، لقد تفوه له (أنا آسف)، لقد فعل ذلك حقًا”.

Chelsea are on the verge of letting another player leave the club permanently after their recent fire-sale, according to a new report, and it’s poised to take their total income to the near-£250 million mark.

Related Chelsea now pushing to seal £100m double signing with talks ongoing

They’re actively pursuing both men.

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Enzo Maresca’s side have essentially been ordered by UEFA to register a ‘positive transfer balance’ this summer, or risk not being able to register new signings for the Champions League next season.

This comes after the Blues were charged with breaching FFP rules early last month, with Chelsea needing to cancel out their £277 million spent on transfers by shipping out a host of unwanted squad members.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Earlier this summer, Chelsea agreed permanent exit deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic and João Félix, but four more are set to follow.

In the last few days, Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu have joined Burnley, with midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also signing for Everton just one year after he joined Chelsea from Leicester City.

Dewsbury-Hall underwent his medical at Everton yesterday, and his sale has been described as vital in terms of Chelsea’s quest to appease UEFA (BBC).

After the Englishman, Ugochukwu and Broja, it is now believed that “clinical” midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is closing in on a return to Borussia Dortmund after fresh talks with the Bundesliga giants.

Carney Chukwuemeka to Borussia Dortmund "done" as Chelsea raise £241 million

According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, both Chelsea and Dortmund consider their deal for Chukwuemeka “done”, with Niko Kovac’s side ready to pay their reduced asking price of £22 million.

Thus far, Chelsea have raised an estimated £219 million through player sales, so once the midfielder completes his switch back to Germany, it will take this total to around £241 million, if all goes to plan.

Given Chelsea are in talks over selling Christopher Nkunku too, with Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi, Ben Chilwell and Alfie Gilchrist also up for grabs (Ben Jacobs), Chukwuemeka is unlikely to be the last departure from Stamford Bridge.

As Chelsea also attempt to negotiate more deals for Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho, BlueCo simply have little choice but to find buyers for each of the aforementioned quartet, or face being weakened for their first season back in the Champions League for years.

Warwickshire wicketkeeper Michael Burgess has made a sudden retirement from professional cricket.Burgess had been at Warwickshire since 2019 having initially joined from Sussex on a two-year deal. With his current contract due to run until the end of the 2025 season, the 30-year-old has decided to step away from the game altogether and will pursue other career options in London.Having come through the age-group set-up at Surrey, Burgess took up a three-year Sports and Excercise Science degree at Loughborough, making his first-class debut for the UCCE side in a pre-season fixture against Sussex in April 2014. A year later, he joined Leicestershire and struck an impressive 98 on first-class debut during a tour match against Sri Lanka in 2016 before being released at the end of that season.After considering other options at the time, including a city job in London and at Royal Hospital School in Ipswich, he was able to secure a trial at Sussex which soon evolved into a permanent deal. Two years later, having found his first-team opportunities limited, he swapped Hove for Edgbaston as one of Paul Farbrace’s first signings as Warwickshire’s director of sport.Burgess went on to score exactly 3,000 runs in 65 first-class matches for Warwickshire, including a career-high 178 against Surrey at the start of the 2022 County Championship. In 2021, he helped the club secure the double of a County Championship title and the Bob Willis Trophy. Last summer, he struck 745 runs at 43.82, scoring his sixth and seventh red-ball hundreds.Speaking on his retirement, Burgess said: “It’s been a very difficult decision. I know it will come as a surprise to many people around the club. But I’ve decided the time is right to step away from the game and pursue other opportunities.”I’d like to thank all the members, fans and the wider club for their support over the last six years. Warwickshire is a brilliantly supported club and the members make it a great place to play cricket.”Winning the Championship in 2021 will always be an incredibly special part of my career and something I’ll forever be proud of. It’s been great sharing a dressing room with this group of players, who I know will bring lots of future success to the club.”In a statement released by Warwickshire on Wednesday, performance director Gavin Larsen said: “On one hand it’s extremely disappointing to lose a player of Michael’s experience, but also we recognise all player’s careers come to close at some point and Michael has decided now is the time for ‘life after cricket’.”What I loved about Michael was his combativeness and toughness with the bat when presented with challenging situations. I’ve lost count of the number of times he has rescued a Championship innings, batting superbly with the tail.”He’s a gifted wicketkeeper who always showed the ability to deliver classy performance behind the stumps. There’s no doubt we’ll miss his all-round skills. He’s made the call right at the start of the new season, as the players return to training, so it gives us time to consider options.”We wish Michael all the very the best, and like we say to all our departing players ‘Once a Bear Always a Bear’. Michael will be welcomed back at Edgbaston at any time, and we wish him all the very best for his new career start in London.”The onus is now on Warwickshire to reinforce their squad, with Burgess’ retirement another loss ahead of the 2025 season following the departures of Will Rhodes and Chris Benjamin, to Durham and Kent respectively. Fast bowler Liam Norwell, who was forced to retire through injury this week, was released in August. Their only incoming so far has been seamer Ethan Bamber from Middlesex.

The legspinner is recovering from an “ongoing injury” and has been advised to skip red-ball cricket

Daya Sagar29-Aug-2024 • Updated on 30-Aug-2024

Rashid Khan had gone through a back injury and subsequent surgery just after the ODI World Cup last year•ICC/Getty Images

Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan has taken a break from Test cricket on medical advice because of an “ongoing injury issue”. He was hence not part of the 20-member preliminary Test squad to face New Zealand in the one-off Test in Greater Noida in India, early next month.”He has taken a break from Tests for now, there’s an ongoing injury issue with him,” an ACB official told ESPNcricinfo. “So the doctors have advised him to not play Tests for now.”We don’t know if he’s out for a year or not. What’s confirmed is that he’s out for some time, until he recovers properly. So he’s not going to play Test cricket until he gets the doctor’s approval. Right now, we can’t say for how long exactly he’s out.”Rashid had undergone back surgery after the ODI World Cup 2023 which kept him out of action for four months during which he missed the BBL, the SA20, and Afghanistan’s international assignments against UAE, India, Sri Lanka and Ireland. Since his surgery, he has only played T20s; he returned to action with three T20Is against Ireland before playing the IPL, the T20 World Cup 2024, Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA, the Hundred, and Afghanistan’s domestic T20 competition Shpageeza Cricket League.Related

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Afghanistan, South Africa set to play three ODIs in September in Sharjah

Rashid Khan withdraws from BBL 13 with back injury

Participation in these tournaments was also not injury-free. A hamstring injury ruled him out of the last week of the Hundred after he had hurt himself while diving to save a boundary for Trent Rockets. When he went home for the domestic T20s, he picked up a back issue after playing only three of the eight games for Speen Ghar Tigers in the second half of August. Those three games were played on successive days and Rashid picked up six wickets at an economy rate of 5.09. In his third game, Rashid also smashed 53 off just 26 balls out of his side’s total of 112 in a truncated match against Amo Sharks.Rashid last played a Test match in March 2021 and has not featured in 50-over games since the ODI World Cup in India last year.Rashid’s workload management could also be a result of the busy calendar coming up. Afghanistan are slotted to play three ODIs against South Africa in late September in Sharjah, although it isn’t known yet if Rashid will be available for those. As per the FTP, Afghanistan are then scheduled to tour Zimbabwe for an all-format tour in December-January for two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. Even though he has opted out of the BBL for the second year in a row, Rashid will represent MI Cape Town in the SA20 which is set to run from January 9 to February 8 before the action moves to the PSL and the IPL.The Afghanistan Test squad has, meanwhile, begun training in Greater Noida, their adopted home ground, for the Test against New Zealand, which will be the first time that the two teams will be facing each other in the format. This will also be the first Test to be played at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.