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Kamrul Islam Rabbi was inspired to take cricket seriously after watching an ad campaign for a fast-bowling talent hunt. Now, seven years after his first-class debut, Rabbi has earned his maiden call-up to the Bangladesh side

Mohammad Isam02-Nov-2015Eight years after a TV advertisement had sowed the seed in his mind, Kamrul Islam Rabbi’s dream of playing for Bangladesh has finally come to fruition. On Sunday, he earned a maiden call-up to the 14-member squad for the first two ODIs against Zimbabwe.Given Bangladesh’s increased reliance on pace bowling, Rabbi has a strong chance of making his international debut in the upcoming series. He and Al-Amin Hossain have replaced the injured Rubel Hossain and the recovering Taskin Ahmed, though both are likely to return for the T20s on November 13 and 15. Still, it is an opening that Rabbi had been working towards for the last several years.”I have been working hard over the last several, so this call-up makes me very happy,” Rabbi said. “I have been playing in the A team for some time now. I am also excited that I can play with Mashrafe [Mortaza] bhai, who is my favourite player. If, God willing, I get an opportunity to play a match, I can play with him.”Rabbi has been picked on the back of strong performances for Bangladesh A on their tour to India in September and in South Africa last month where he took nine wickets in four matches. He was first picked in the Bangladesh A team in 2011, and intermittently, he had some good performances for Barisal Division, one of the weakest first-class teams in the National Cricket League, as well as in the Dhaka Premier League, the domestic one-day competition.”Whenever pace bowlers from Bangladesh get an opportunity to play on a hard surface, be it at home or abroad, we have done well,” Rabbi said. “We usually have a hard time bowling on flat wickets that are more conducive to spinners, so a pace bowler in this country has to go through a lot of hard work.”The advertisement that inspired Rabbi was a pacer-hunt programme that was the rage across Bangladesh in the mid-2000s. It was a moderately successful attempt at finding pace bowlers across the country. In the ad, the current limited-overs captain, Mashrafe Mortaza, is seen to be hallucinating about an aspiring fast bowler reminding him to be serious lest he take Mashrafe’s place.Rabbi said he was never serious about playing cricket in his early days in Barisal before the ad prompted him to sign up for the pacer hunt. He clocked one delivery at 79mph, which was deemed good enough to take him to the final round in BKSP where Sarwar Imran, the coach in charge of the pacer hunt, took an interest in him and placed him in the system for the Dhaka club teams. He was soon picked up by Old DOHS Sports Club, and the Barisal divisional side got wind of a pace bowler from their region that needs to be added to their first-class side.Rabbi’s case, however, is more an exception than the rule. There has been a perennial struggle to find someone to replace Mashrafe whenever he is injured, and to partner him with the new ball when fit. Only in the last 12 months has there been emphasis on pace bowling, particularly in the limited-overs format. Mashrafe’s preference for a minimum of three pace bowlers has had a ripple effect, as the selectors now scramble to find talented quicks to replace injured pace bowlers like Rubel and Taskin.Al-Amin Hossain’s return to the side is an example of the increasing importance given to pace bowling•AFPThe return of Al-Amin, a result of his performance in South Africa, is another example of the increasing importance given to pace bowling. Al-Amin was a mainstay throughout 2014 before he hit a couple of roadblocks; first, his action was reported that year and soon after he breached the team rules during the World Cup. He was doing well at the international stage, but now has to restart his career and his skills suggest he has the ability.But the pace bowling pipeline is far from gushing out new talent. First-class and club teams in Bangladesh hardly ever use a pace bowler optimally; there are lower-level clubs in the Dhaka leagues that don’t play a genuine pace bowler at all, factoring in the slow pitches.Rabbi is one of the few pace bowlers who gets to bowl long spells mainly because of his variations with the old ball. He has impressed with his ability to rev up the pace, use the yorker well and put enough work on the ball with his wrist and fingers.The grind of domestic cricket has taken him through the long road, sometimes dark with the hopelessness that can easily engulf a professional cricketer so entrenched in the erratic structure. Rabbi has stuck it out despite early concerns from his parents about a career in cricket. He was good in science and once even said he would be a forest officer if he wasn’t into cricket.Now it is time to look forward and Rabbi, who possesses a strong action, will make for an interesting choice if he is picked in the playing XI against Zimbabwe. His big advantage is that he is a product of one of the toughest environments that a pace bowler can go through.”Habibul Bashar sir told me in South Africa recently that international cricket is all about playing to your strength,” Rabbi said. “He said that since what I have been doing all this time has worked for me, I should not try anything different in international cricket. I know my strength and I think I will try to stick to his advice as much as possible,” said Rabbi.

Chris Woakes’s participation in the remainder of England’s Champions Trophy campaign could be in doubt, after he picked up a side strain during the tournament opener against Bangladesh at The Oval

Andrew Miller at The Oval01-Jun-2017Eoin Morgan, the England captain, admits that his satisfaction at an otherwise emphatic victory over Bangladesh in the opening match of the Champions Trophy has been tempered by a side strain sustained by Chris Woakes, which threatens to rule him out for the rest of the tournament.Woakes had come into the match nursing a tight quad that led to his omission from the final two matches of England’s recent ODI series against South Africa, but he looked in fine fettle as he opened the campaign with a maiden to Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal.However, he bowled just one more over in his spell before leaving the field for treatment. He will undergo a scan on his left side this evening, but Morgan is already braced for bad news from England’s medical team.”He’s obviously been very impressive for us over the last couple of years, and a mainstay, a very reliable guy,” Morgan said. “And it is a worry when he goes off the field and can’t come back on and bowl.”Though it is too early to say how the injury will impact on Woakes’ involvement either in the remainder of this match, or England’s subsequent group games against New Zealand on June 6 and Australia on June 10, side strains are notoriously difficult injuries for fast bowlers to shake off.A typical recovery can take between four and six weeks, especially if the injury involves damage to the intercostal muscles, because even when fully recovered, fast bowlers in particular find it hard to hit the crease with their usual aggression, for fear of suffering a relapse.Were that the case, it would rule Woakes out of the entire tournament, and leave him in some doubt for the start of England’s Test series against South Africa as well, which gets underway at Lord’s on July 6.”Side strains are a big confidence thing, aren’t they?” said Morgan. “Yeah, he would definitely be a loss if he couldn’t play.”Morgan denied, however, that Woakes had suffered for being rushed back into action before he was fully recovered from his quad niggle. “He was chomping at the bit to play,” he said. “If we rushed him, he might have played the last game of the one-day series but we didn’t want to rush him.”Woakes’ injury isn’t the only issue undermining England’s previously settled Champions Trophy squad. Ben Stokes came into the match nursing a knee injury that limited his ability to bowl in the South Africa series – although he showed no signs of discomfort in his seven overs today – while Joe Root also picked up a calf injury in the course of his match-winning 133 not out.”Joe is all right,” Morgan said. “He wasn’t in extreme pain. It was manageable, so given that we have four days between now and the next game, hopefully he’ll rest up well and be fully fit.”The size of England’s victory masked a few concerns beyond the fitness issues. Jason Roy endured another day to forget, making just 1 from 7 balls to extend his fallow run at the top of the order, while Jake Ball, surprisingly included in place of the legspinner Adil Rashid, struggled for consistency as his ten overs were dispatched for 82 runs.However, Morgan reiterated his unequivocal support for Roy, adding that he had been unlucky to fall to an impressive catch at short backward square leg from Mustafizur Rahman.”It was quite smart, bowling a slower bowl from the opening bowler, and brave,” Morgan said. “It was a big gamble. But that sort of stuff can happen. You can get out in that sort of fashion when you’re short on runs. But yeah, certainly we believe in him.”On the subject of Rashid’s omission – which seemed to go against the team ethos of selection continuity – Morgan insisted there were two separate issues to consider.”We felt Bangladesh probably would have preferred to play against a lot more spin, as opposed to four quicks, and obviously Ben [Stokes]. So that contributed to how we wanted to balance the side and how we saw them playing. Their top three batters are lefties, and the possibility of getting Joe [Root] or Mo [Ali] on early was an option.”With the batting, obviously you can’t ask guys to go out and play positive cricket and whack it everywhere – there’s an element, a high-risk element – and then drop them as soon as they are lacking runs. On previous teams, that has happened and we don’t want it to happen.”We want to reinforce confidence so the guys can go out and we can make 300 an easy score to get, by playing real positive cricket. And contributing to that, both as a captain and coach, and selectors, by backing your own players up.”

Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid for Flamengo's Matheus Franca, with Todd Boehly willing to pay the €25m (£21m) needed to secure the forward's signature, according to a recent report from Globo Esporte.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

A new attacking midfielder is on the agenda for Mauricio Pochettino, with Lyon's Rayan Cherki currently being pursued, and transfer expert Graeme Bailey has claimed that members of the scouting team are "really pushing" for the 19-year-old.

Fabrizio Romano has recently reported that Franca has been followed by the Blues for quite some time, while also suggesting the player himself would be very open to the move, saying: "Matheus Franca is really appreciated. He is a player that they have been following for a long time.

"I can mention that the player will be really excited about the possibility of joining Chelsea."

Now, it appears as though the Brazilian could be presented with an opportunity to move to Stamford Bridge, as according to Globe Esporte (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid.

The Blues are not the only Premier League club to have tabled an offer for the 19-year-old, however, as Flamengo club director Bruno Spindel has confirmed that Crystal Palace have also came forward with a proposal.

It is not clear how much Chelsea have put on the table for the youngster, but it is detailed that Flamengo want €25m (£21m) to sanction his departure, and Boehly is willing to match that asking price.

One potential disadvantage the west Londoners may have in the race for the starlet is that they plan to loan him out to Strasbourg immediately, while Palace are keen to use him straight away, which could attract him to Selhurst Park.

Who is Matheus Franca?

The Rio de Janeiro-born maestro mainly plays in an advanced midfield role, but he is also very much capable of playing on both wings and at striker, so he would be a versatile option for Pochettino.

One of the forward's key strengths is his dribbling ability, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level, while also placing in the 96th percentile for progressive carries over that timeframe.

Lauded as "highly talented" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the Flamengo star has already recorded 54 first-team appearances for the Brazilian Serie A side, despite being just 19-years-old, during which time he has found the back of the net nine times.

That said, the attacker is, as yet, unproven outside of Brazil, and it would be a risk to put him straight into the first team, so it is probably a wise move to send him out on loan to Strasbourg.

Ideally, Franca would agree to move to the Ligue 1 side on loan and develop his game further, but it would not be a surprise if he wants to play Premier League football immediately, and ends up being attracted by a move to Crystal Palace.

Another global cricketing event, another chance for a strong South African unit to snatch that elusive title

Firdose Moonda01-Jun-2017OverviewHere they go again. South Africa. In search of a major trophy. It’s a script so well known, it must be close to being a classic. And South Africa still hope to be able to write a different ending.The prelude has been much the same as in competitions past: South Africa have enjoyed a solid build-up, so much so that they are considered one of the teams to beat, and have a constellation of star players in their squad. On the way to the event, they’ve won series against two of the opposition they will meet in the pool stage – India and Sri Lanka – and, as the only non sub-continent team in the group, have come to terms with the amount of spin they will have to deal with.So what will it take this time? Chances are that the answer is as simple as a little bit of luck, the one thing that has eluded South Africa over the years. It’s not something they can train or plan for, only something they can hope finally finds it’s way to them.Several South African seniors – AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir and Morne Morkel – have spoken of the 2019 World Cup as their swansong. So desperate are they to win that trophy that they may forgive themselves if this event becomes little more than a practice round.But they have a strong incentive not to regard the Champions Trophy so casually. Coach Russell Domingo’s contract expires at the end of this tour and although he is free to reapply for his job, has given no indication of his future plans. This may be his last chance to have success at a limited-overs’ competition and if that is the case, the squad, who have been vocal in their support of him, will want to send him off on a high.Champions Trophy history1998 – Champions2000 – Semi-finalists2002 – Semi-finalists2004 – First round2006 – Semi-finalists2009 – First round2013 – Semi-finalistsForm guideBefore their trip to the UK, where South Africa lost the three-match rubber against England, they had won their last seven bilateral ODI series. Among those was a first-ever 5-0 whitewash over Australia, a clean sweep over Sri Lanka and victories in what were effectively finals in India, New Zealand and against England at home. In that time, South Africa equalled their longest winning streak of 12 matches, which was last achieved in 2005, and rose to No.1 on the ODI rankings to arrive at the Champions Trophy as among the favourites.ESPNcricinfo LtdStrengthWith four of the world’s top-10 ODI batsmen (de Villiers sits at No. 1) and the world’s top-two ODI bowlers in Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir, the quality of individuals in South Africa’s squad is a standout strength. In Amla, Quinton de Kock, de Villiers, du Plessis, David Miller and Duminy, South Africa have players who can combine a well-paced innings with power-hitting and totals over 350 are not unfamiliar to them. In the bowling department, Tahir is the world’s top-ranked limited-overs’ spinner while Rabada is ODI cricket’s newest No. 1, having overtaken Tahir on the rankings after the England series.A mix of seam and spin talent, and experience and youth, give South Africa no less than eight bowling options. Among those is everything from a left-arm paceman – Wayne Parnell – to a death-bowling specialist in Andile Phehlukwayo and two specialist spinners.WeaknessIn an attempt to give themselves as many options as possible, South Africa have packed their side with allrounders but getting the right balance in the XI may prove tricky. Chris Morris, Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius and Phehlukwayo are all bowling allrounders capable of hitting the ball a fair distance but South Africa are likely to only have room for two of the four in most XIs and they don’t seem too sure which two.South Africa have yet to decide on a new-ball pair – though Rabada and Morkel would seem an obvious choice – which has left them uncertain about the balance of the side. Add to that de Villiers’ problems with managing his over rate and that the best captain, Faf du Plessis, does not lead the side in this format, and South Africa can sometimes seem comical in the field. But only sometimes.Key stats South Africa have lost half of the matches in the Champions Trophy in which they have batted second – six out of 12. Only Bangladesh have a worse record chasing. By contrast, South Africa have the best win-loss ratio when batting first, wining five out of eight games. Wayne Parnell has taken 11 of the 19 Champions Trophy wickets that South Africa’s current squad have all together. Apart from Parnell, Duminy and Morris (who each have four wickets) and Morne Morkel are the only four bowlers with Champions Trophy experience. None of the batsmen in the current South African squad have scored a Champions Trophy hundred. South Africa have lost all three matches they have played against India in Champions Trophy history – twice in the semi-finals and once in the round-robin stage.

The WSL leaders came out on top in their four-game series with Nick Cushing's side and still have three trophies in their sights

On Sunday, Manchester City and Chelsea will both do something they haven't done in any of their last four games. They'll walk out for a fixture that doesn't involve playing against one another. Thursday's Women's Champions League second leg was the final match in a four-game series between the two, which began with the League Cup final on March 15 and spanned across three competitions, before coming to its conclusion via the Blues’ qualification for a European semi-final in midweek.

It’s been a testing couple of weeks for both teams, for a lot of different reasons. Each have been hit by notable injuries, the kind of which have hurt City’s thinner squad more. Sonia Bompastor, the Chelsea boss, went out of her way to note that on Thursday. “Maybe it was something that went more in our side, because they didn't have all their squad,” she graciously conceded, in the same press conference which saw her describe the depth of her squad as “really important”.

In the end, it was Chelsea who came out on top across this tetralogy, despite losing their unbeaten record in the second of their four meetings with City. In Manchester, a 2-0 win for the hosts was sandwiched between victories for the Blues in the League Cup final and the Women’s Super League, the latter of which Bompastor’s team are in pole position to win. However, that was just the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, and Chelsea ruthlessly turned things around at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, going 3-0 up before half time.

Try as they might, City couldn’t get going in west London. Hannah Hampton, the Chelsea goalkeeper, was forced into several smart saves, but never from sustained pressure. Instead, the Blues dominated and deservedly progressed to the semi-finals, where they will face a Barcelona side that has eliminated them at this stage in each of the past two years.

Could this season be different? There are some signs to suggest as much, though Barca’s own 10-2 aggregate quarter-final win over two-time European champions Wolfsburg was a statement. “It will be a tough challenge,” Bompastor said. “But, in football, everything is possible.”

And what now for City? They lost that League Cup final, are out of the Champions League and sit some seven points adrift of the European places in the WSL, with only five games to go. There is still the FA Cup, which they are in the semi-finals of, but it has been a rough few weeks.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Stamford Bridge…

Getty ImagesWINNER: Quadruple talk

In England, people love to talk about the quadruple. It's an extremely rare feat to achieve, with Arsenal the only English women's side to tick all four boxes way back in 2007, when they won the league, both domestic cups and the UEFA Women's Cup, now the Women's Champions League. However, Chelsea not only remain in the mix to become just the second English women's side to triumph on the continent – they also have the potential to still collect all four pieces of silverware.

Victory over City in the League Cup final earlier this month ensured that talk didn't fall at the first hurdle, and this remarkable comeback on Thursday allowed the Blues to clear the second fence. Sonia Bompastor won't be drawn on such a dream, just taking each game at a time, but the hopes are still there for Chelsea fans as they ponder something which would be quite incredible.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Man City & Nick Cushing

Man City made a huge call when they opted to replace Gareth Taylor with Nick Cushing ahead of this four-game series with Chelsea. In the end, it absolutely did not pay off.

City lost the League Cup final 13 days ago, were defeated in the crucial WSL meeting between the two at the weekend and then, after actually coming through as 2-0 winners in the first leg of this Champions League tie, even that victory was rendered meaningless thanks to this 3-0 loss.

It was a big risk to make a managerial change when they did. City hoped it could help secure some better results to improve a season that was in danger of disaster. But instead, it changed very little.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Lauren James

It's not been an easy season so far for Lauren James. Three months on the sidelines was far from ideal for the England winger, forcing her to miss all but one of Chelsea's Champions League group games. However, she's come back with a bang in this New Year and has been playing some wonderful football since her return. Thursday was another example of that. No one created more chances in the second leg than James, whose running caused City all sorts of problems.

As Chelsea prepare for the games to get bigger and bigger in the next few weeks, they'll be delighted that James is showing some wonderful form on a regular basis. She could well be the difference as they target that elusive Champions League title.

Getty ImagesLOSER: Vivianne Miedema

In the first leg, Vivianne Miedema was absolutely world-class. Her remarkable composure in front of goal was what gave City their two-goal advantage and a huge chance to make the semi-finals of this competition. Unfortunately, though, those efforts were in vain.

The same goes for the work she did on Thursday, too. On several occasions, this remarkably talented striker popped up with huge defensive moments, most notably clearing a Nathalie Bjorn header off the line. Yet, it was Chelsea who prevailed in the tie.

There were several players who turned up in a big way for City over the course of these two legs, despite the result. Miedema was certainly one of them and for a player of her incredible quality to still be yet to play in a Champions League semi-final in her career feels unjust.

Pat Cummins heads home early in the IPL, while there was a hat-trick for Grace Harris at FairBreak

Andrew McGlashan16-May-20221:04

Cummins on his comeback: ‘Was trying to be a bit more on the money’

IPLAfter a disrupted campaign which had not quite sparked into life, Mitchell Marsh hit top gear against Rajasthan Royals with a fantastic all-round display. His 89 off 62 balls, including seven sixes, powered Delhi Capitals to their target in good time in what is becoming a tight race for the play-offs where net run-rate could be vital. It was the first half-century of Marsh’s IPL career. As in the T20 World Cup final last year, Marsh partnered with David Warner in the dominant stand as Warner eased his way to 52 off 41 balls to continue his fine tournament. Marsh had earlier picked up an important 2 for 26 including the scalp of Royals’ top-scorer R Ashwin.Daniel Sams’ resurgence continued as he claimed 3 for 16 against Chennai Super Kings in the basement battle. He blew Super Kings’ top order away by removing Devon Conway (albeit a controversial lbw decision when the DRS was unavailable) and Moeen Ali for ducks in the first over then adding Ruturaj Gaikwad. After having combined figures of 1 for 139 from 11 overs across his first three matches of the season, Sams has now taken 10 for 162 from 23 overs in his next six outings.Related

Mitchell Marsh, the comeback king

Pat Cummins leaves IPL 2022 early with hip injury

James Pattinson shines and snarls as Nottinghamshire dominate Middlesex

There was a rare bad day with the ball for Josh Hazlewood in what has been a stellar run in T20 cricket as he was taken for 64 off his four overs against Punjab Kings. They are the most expensive figures of his career, surpassing the 54 he conceded against Royals last season. He felt the full force of two England batters: Jonny Bairstow took his first over for 22 and Liam Livingstone hammered 24 off the last. His second over was pretty good and went for just seven.Pat Cummins’ tournament came to an early end when he flew home to manage a hip niggle ahead of Australia’s tour to Sri Lanka next month. There are no concerns over his fitness – he had already been rested from the T20Is so has some extra time up his sleeve – but with Knight Riders only having an outside chance of progressing it felt a pragmatic move. Before leaving Cummins had produced his best bowling performance of the season with 3 for 22 against Mumbai Indians and all the wickets came in a single over as he all but ended Mumbai’s chase.Gujarat Titans are flying high in their first season and are assured of a top-two finish. Matthew Wade was back in the side this week but a lean tournament continued with scores of 10 and 20.Marnus Labuschagne was excited to be in the wickets again•Getty ImagesCountyMatt Renshaw comfortably took the honours in a battle between two Australian left-handers as his 94 helped set up Somerset for a crushing innings-and-246-run victory over Gloucestershire for who Marcus Harris made 32 and 15. Both batters will be part of the Australia A squad in Sri Lanka but while Renshaw is opening at Somerset he may well find himself back in the middle order for that side.Michael Neser and Marnus Labuschagne shared seven second-innings wickets for Glamorgan but it wasn’t enough for victory as they fell short in a chase of 196 against Durham with Matthew Potts, who is expected to earn an England call-up for the New Zealand series, bagging 7 for 40. Neser also made 62 in the first innings but was ninth out in the chase. Labuschagne’s 3 for 35 were a career-best and followed his three-wicket bag last week against Leicestershire. It is a promising sign for Australia and it will be interesting to see whether he bowls more in Sri Lanka than he did in Pakistan. With the bat he was again left frustrated, however, removed for 17 and 31 – the latter of those to the final ball of the third day in what was a pivotal moment.FairBreakGrace Harris bagged herself a hat-trick as part of a haul of 5 for 22 but even though she followed that with 31 off 20 balls it wasn’t enough for Sapphires against Barmy Army. Team-mate Elyse Villani capped off her FairBreak tournament with 71 off 54 balls as they did get over the line against Falcons but it was the latter who edged into the top four. Nicola Carey made her second half-century of the tournament for Spirit – 53 off 26 balls against Tornadoes – and her team then won the third-place play-off thanks for Sophia Dunkley’s brilliant 123 off 73 balls against Barmy Army.

James Pattinson trapped Peter Handscomb LBW with a beauty in the County Championship…

And didn't he love it

@CountyChamp | #LVCountyChamppic.twitter.com/ZBfbX0QK6w

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) May 14, 2022

Did you see?James Pattinson took 4 for 46 in the first innings against Middlesex and claimed some bragging rights to take back to Australia with him. Twice in the game he removed his Victoria captain Peter Handscomb – lbw in the first innings then caught at slip in the second. However, rain on the final day thwarted Nottinghamshire’s push for victory and may have left them regretting not enforcing the follow-on.Performance of the weekHard to look past Mitchell Marsh’s all-round display. There have been some challenges for him over the last couple of months with a lot of drinks carrying in Pakistan before injury ruled him out of the limited-overs matches and then he caught Covid-19 early in the IPL. He’ll now be looking to finish the IPL strongly before heading to Sri Lanka.

FIFA and the Atlanta released video showcasing the creation of host city's official World Cup 2026 Poster

Local artist Jose Hadathy reveals his creative processVideo offers fans insight into the poster's evolutionPart of FIFA's initiative to highlight host cities' unique culturesGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

A behind-the-scenes video documents the creation of Atlanta's FIFA World Cup 2026 Host City Poster. The video features local artist Jose Hadathy, offering viewers a look at his creative process and the inspiration behind the poster's striking imagery.

Hadathy, an illustrator and graphic designer based in Atlanta, was born in Quito, Ecuador and moved to the area at the age of nine.

“I am honored to have been chosen to create a piece that captures my two passions – soccer and the city of Atlanta,” Hadathy said. “This poster was inspired by our city’s rich culture, history, and profound connection to soccer. The FIFA World Cup will shine a global spotlight on Atlanta and the state of Georgia, and I wanted to create something that captures the energy and excitement of the world’s greatest sporting event, while authentically connecting with locals and inspiring visitors to explore our wonderful city and state.”

AdvertisementWATCH THE VIDEOTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Atlanta poster is part of a series representing all 16 host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Each poster is designed by a local artist, reflecting the distinctive identity and heritage of their respective cities.

This initiative echoes FIFA's commitment to embracing local culture and artistry as part of the world's biggest sporting event.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Following Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Miami, next on the list to release their Host City poster for the 2026 World Cup is Houston on March 26.

They are followed by Toronto on March 28, San Fransico Bay Area on March 30 and several others including Boston, Seattle, Kansas City and more.

One club’s mainstay international centre-half is allegedly in talks to join Tottenham Hotspur when the January transfer window opens, with the under-pressure Ange Postecoglou set to be without star defensive duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

Ange Postecoglou confirms Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero injuries

Both Romero and van de Ven made a welcome, albeit brief, return to the starting eleven in Spurs’ 4-3 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday – but now Postecoglou’s pivotal centre-backs have returned to the sidelines with new injuries.

Tottenham open talks with 169-goal striker after Paratici recommendation

The Italian has been working as an outside advisor.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 11, 2024

Romero was hauled off against Chelsea after 15 minutes, while van de Ven was taken off closer to the full-time whistle with tightness in his hamstring. The former picked up an issue with his quadriceps, and reports in South America suggest that Romero could be out for six weeks (Gaston Edul).

Postecoglou, meanwhile, refuses to rule out the possibility that van de Ven has suffered recurrence of the hamstring problem which kept him sidelined for over a month – with the Dutchman picking up an injury on the same side (football.london).

Southampton vs Tottenham

December 15

Tottenham vs Liverpool

December 22

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

December 26

Tottenham vs Wolves

December 29

Tottenham vs Newcastle

January 4

Tottenham’s manager has called their current injury crisis the worst he’s ever faced by a “fair stretch” in the build up to Spurs’ clash with Rangers in the Europa League, with van de Ven and Romero joining Guglielmo Vicario, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert, Ben Davies and Mikey Moore on the treatment table.

“I never think it’s just bad luck. Some of it. I’ve never lost a goalkeeper for this period of time,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s injury problems.

“Some of the other issues that we’ve had… But some of it is recurring, particularly this year in terms of guys coming back and re-injuring. It’s something we’re looking at. We’re always trying to explore whether we can do things better. Last year was different to this year. Last year it hit us across the board. This year it’s more guys that are coming back who are affected. Knock on wood, we’ve got a core group who are playing a lot and are getting through it ok. But it is something we are trying to address.”

Postecoglou now only has one senior centre-back at his disposal in Radu Dragusin, with the January transfer window looking more and more important for Johan Lange as the technical director is tasked with reinforcing Spurs’ options.

Omar Alderete in talks to join Tottenham from Getafe in January

According to D10 in his native Paraguay, mainstay Getafe centre-back Omar Alderete is emerging as a potential solution to Tottenham’s centre-back woes.

The South American media outlet boldly claims that Alderete is in talks to join Tottenham next month, following a great year for the 27-year-old international, where he has become an undisputed starter for his club and impressed for his country.

Alderete bagged a goal against Romero’s Argentina in their 2026 World Cup qualifier, and right now, he’s Getafe’s best-performing player by average match rating per 90 according to WhoScored.

He’s also made more clearances per 90 than any other Getafe defender, averaging a solid 4.3, whilst also making more blocks on average than any of his teammates in that time.

However, he’s also managed a pass accuracy of just 68.9 per cent out from the back, so it is unclear whether he’s the style of defender to help Spurs transition from defence to attack.

Pacer picks four wickets on debut while the opener scored his maiden ODI ton

Himanshu Agrawal29-Mar-2022New Zealand hadn’t played an ODI for over a year, had as many as 12 first-choice players plying their trade in the IPL, and were playing Netherlands in the format after 26 years. Still, debutant quick Blair Tickner, and top-order batters Will Young – who got to his maiden ODI century with an unbeaten 103 – and Henry Nicholls combined to ensure the hosts comfortably took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.After Tickner became the fourth New Zealand bowler to take four wickets on ODI debut to restrict the visitors to 202, Nicholls and Young kept New Zealand motoring along in a second-wicket stand of 162 before Nicholls fell for 57, as they completed the chase with more than 11 overs to spare.Young got to his hundred after dancing down the pitch to loft over mid-off in what turned out to be the winning runs for his side. He had reached fifty off 54 balls in the 19th over, by which time he had slammed five fours and two sixes. Three of those fours came off successive deliveries in the eighth over off Logan van Beek: first a pull behind square, then a perfectly-timed push between cover and mid-off, and finally another pull but this time in front of square.Related

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But the shot of the day came in the 18th over when Young skipped down the track to left-arm wristspinner Michael Rippon, and effortlessly lofted the ball for a big six over long-off. However, that remained the only boundary hit from the 11th to the 24th over, as Rippon and captain Pieter Seelaar kept things quiet.While Rippon sent back Nicholls to break the massive stand, he also got Ross Taylor with a beauty: he tossed the ball up from around the wicket, inviting Taylor to drive, but the ball landed right in between his bat and pad, and spun back in to hit the stumps.Earlier, it was the pair of Rippon and Seelaar that had rescued Netherlands with the bat after they were reduced to 45 for 5 by the New Zealand pacers at the end of the 13th over. Tickner had got two of those wickets, with one each having gone to Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry and Colin de Grandhomme.Jamieson was the first to strike when he had Max O’Dowd gloving down the leg side to wicketkeeper Tom Latham in the third over of the innings, while three overs later, Henry had Stephan Myburgh edging to Martin Guptill at gully, where the latter took a good low catch.And while New Zealand’s debutant shone with the ball, Netherlands’ own debut batter Vikramjit Singh impressed with the bat, albeit only for a short while. Before becoming Tickner’s maiden ODI wicket, left-hand batter Vikramjit had shown signs of a young Darren Bravo with his compact technique, hitting four pleasing boundaries on his way to 19.He used soft hands to collect the first of those, before gently driving Henry down the ground and punching him with a short-arm jab through the covers for four. But from 41 for 2, Netherlands slipped further to lose another three wickets for as many runs as Tickner had Vikramjit caught at third man while Scott Edwards gifted a return catch to de Grandhomme, and Bas de Leede, whose father Tim was part of the only previous ODI meeting between the sides in 1996, also found third man off Tickner.That is when the union between captain Seelaar and Rippon began. Happy to nudge and tuck the ball to keep the scoreboard ticking, they slowly but steadily took their side towards hundred, as legspinner Ish Sodhi and debutant allrounder Michael Bracewell kept things tight. Seelaar swept them once each for four, but when on 43, ended up tickling down leg off Tickner to end the 80-run partnership.Rippon, who been pretty quiet until then, soon found the boundary and reached his half-century in the 45th over before being the last man out for 67. He kept dragging Netherlands by regularly running singles, and was involved in crucial partnerships with the tailenders to push his team to a respectable total. A cameo from van Beek and contributions from Philippe Boissevain took them past 200, but that would prove easily gettable for New Zealand in the end.

Ibrahima Konate appears likely to leave Liverpool for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer despite the Reds' desire to tie him to a new contract.

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Konate leaning towards PSG moveLiverpool eager to tie him to new contractReal Madrid also interested in centre-backFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool fear they may lose centre-backs Virgil van Dijk, whose contract expires this summer, and Konate, whose deal runs until the summer of 2026, in the same transfer window and are eager to avoid the key departures.

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The Merseyside club, then, are prepared to offer the French defender a new deal, but reports that PSG have a good chance of luring him to Ligue 1. The defender would prefer to join the French giants this summer and Liverpool are aware of his intention.

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PSG, who eliminated Liverpool from the Champions League this week, are not the only team interested in signing the 25-year-old. Real Madrid have also been linked with the former Sochaux and RB Leipzig player and may attempt to bring him to the Spanish capital alongside team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer.

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The Anfield club will hope to persuade Konate to stay before the summer transfer window opens as they look to keep their top stars following Arne Slot's debut season in charge.