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No último sábado (11), o Juventude foi derrotado, por 2 a 0, para o Corinthians. Os times se enfrentaram pela 11ª rodada do Brasileirão, na Neo Química Arena. Com isso, o clube segue em uma sequência de dois jogos sem vitórias.

Na zona de rebaixamento da competição nacional, a equipe gaúcha virou a chave e já começou a se preparar para o seu próximo compromisso. Na terça-feira (14), o Juventude encara o Santos, no Alfredo Jaconi, em Caxias do Sul.

Para definir a equipe que entrará em campo, o técnico Eduardo Baptista terá apenas um treino. Além disso, ele não poderá contar com o volante Jean Irmer, que vinha sendo titular do time. O jogador levou o terceiro amarelo no último jogo e cumprirá suspensão automática.

Na última rodada, Busanello, Élton, Gabriel Tota, Edinho e Guilherme Parede não foram relacionados. Enquanto isso William, Thalisson, Capixaba, Darlan, Ricardo Bueno, Rômulo e Paulinho Moccelin ficaram no banco de reservas e não atuaram.

Arne Slot sent good wishes to Pep Guardiola ahead of Manchester City's FIFA Club World Cup journey as Liverpool get the summer off.

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• Slot sent support to Pep
• Man City will travel to the US for FIFA CWC
• Liverpool will get the summer off

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Slot endured a remarkable journey as Liverpool boss in his maiden season in England as the Reds became the English champions for a record equalling 20th time after beating Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield last week. The Dutch manager is now looking forward to a well-deserved break in the summer, while clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City will head to the US to participate in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Slot cherished the idea that his players would get a break the entire summer before they prepare for their defending campaign next year. In comparison, the Blues and the City stars will see their holidays cut short due to participation in the new competition. The Dutchmen, however, wished Pep Guardiola and his team luck before they head to America next month.

• WHAT ARNE SLOT SAID

  Speaking to reporters, Slot said: "In this moment, eight out of ten people who work in this business – maybe even ten out of ten – will feel is it really necessary to have another tournament for these players that already had such a long season. I don't think it's healthy for players to only have maybe one week off, then go into the tournament, then have one week off and start the whole Premier League season again. That can never be good for the health of a player."

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  Guardiola had earlier criticised the packed schedule, which is taking a toll on the players' fitness, and Slot has now backed the Spanish coach's statement. The Reds boss added: "I think that is probably what most of us feel. Maybe when the tournament has been played or done well, we’ll all feel we would love to have been there, because what a great occasion. But now we have our opinion, and I think most people in football have the same opinion, pfft, another tournament. We have to wait and see what it means for the long-term for these teams, hardly having any days off."

Enzo Maresca will keep his job at Chelsea next season – even if the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League.

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• Chelsea fighting for UCL qualification
• Aiming to win Conference League
• Blues make decision on his future

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  claims that head coach Maresca will remain at Stamford Bridge, whatever happens in their final three games of the season. The Blues sit fifth in the Premier League and two wins would seal their spot in next term's Champions League, but the report states the Italian will remain in charge even if Chelsea fall short.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea supposedly intend to give Maresca – who was appointed on a five-year deal last summer – at least two full seasons in charge before any sort of performance assessment is made. If they win the Conference League and qualified for the Champions League, the Blues hierarchy would reportedly see that as a very successful campaign.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  If Chelsea fell short of their main goal of qualifying for the Champions League, it would be seen internally as a 'disappointment' rather than a 'crisis demanding radical change'. The fans may not share that sentiment, however.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea round off their season with Premier League games against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, before taking on Real Betis in the Conference League final.

Ipswich Town’s woes on their own patch continue on as Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur ran out resounding 4-1 victors over the dejected Tractor Boys on Saturday.

Indeed, Kieran McKenna’s men have only won one Premier League clash all season long at Portman Road, with this defeat, in particular, pushing them deeper into the relegation mire off the back of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ big win on their travels to AFC Bournemouth.

Now, the Suffolk underdogs are five points off Wolves who occupy that golden 17th spot in the division, but there were some positives for McKenna to hold onto come full-time, despite the grim reality of another home loss.

Ipswich's biggest positives vs Spurs

Ipswich actually finished the contest with more shots on goal – with 17 to Spurs’ ten – alongside offering up more big chances at a slightly heftier three to the away side’s one, but all of that would ultimately amount to nothing.

Still, the likes of Omari Hutchinson would trudge off the pitch at the end pleased with their efforts, as the ex-Chelsea man got his side back into the contest with a beautifully executed strike deep into the hectic first 45 minutes.

Away from that moment of ecstasy, Hutchinson also amassed three key passes in the game to try and gift his side more of a way into the clash before an unfortunate late collapse handed Spurs all three points.

Jack Clarke stood out down the left flank too, with his assist providing Hutchinson the chance to beat Guglielmo Vicario, whilst Liam Delap was his usual energetic self minus a finish rippling the back of the net.

But, away from those lively performers up top, the Tractor Boys defence did look porous throughout, especially down the left-hand side of the pitch when Heung-min Son was twisting and turning this shaky Ipswich body for fun.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Ipswich's biggest underperformer vs Spurs

Whilst Jacob Greaves didn’t cover himself in much glory throughout, the ex-Hull City man at least lasted the full 90 minutes which can’t be said for another notable underperformer at the back.

Ben Godfrey, again, looked out of his depth pulling on Ipswich blue, with both of Spurs’ goals in the first half originating from Son constantly bamboozling the former Everton defender, before teeing up Brennan Johnson for a somewhat easy finish.

Godfrey’s horror show first half resulted in McKenna hauling him off the pitch at the half-time interval, with the ropey 27-year-old failing to win a single tackle or duel, alongside also only registering six accurate passes when attempting to build attacks away from being routinely under the cosh.

This isn’t the only time this campaign that the ex-Toffees right-back has been hooked off by his new manager after an out-of-sorts defensive showing, with Godfrey surviving just an hour or so on the pitch when Manchester City came to town in late January, as Pep Guardiola’s rampant visitors ran out convincing 6-0 winners.

Minutes played

64

45

Goals conceded

5

2

Touches

50

14

Accurate passes

34/40 (85%)

6/8 (75%)

Clearances

1

0

Blocked shots

0

1

Interceptions

0

2

Total tackles

0

0

Total duels won

2/3

0/1

Looking at the table above, it does feel as if Godfrey can’t cut it against some of the Premier League’s elite attackers, with a worrying seven goals shipped from his 109 minutes of action versus City and Spurs, among other negative statistics.

McKenna will presumably bring Axel Tuanzebe back into the side when his suspension ceases to be, with his replacement not exactly banging the door down for most first-team chances moving forward.

If Ipswich are to stay up, they cannot afford more leaky showings, with the Atalanta loanee needing to be ditched now to give his team a fighting chance at survival.

Ipswich must now sell £35k-p/w flop who McKenna said had a 'high ceiling'

Kieran McKenna could be ruthless this coming summer in ditching this expensive Ipswich Town flop.

1 ByKelan Sarson Feb 20, 2025

It is understood Rohit is healing well, and is likely to undergo a medical assessment next week

Shashank Kishore19-Dec-2022Rohit Sharma, the India captain, has been ruled out of the upcoming Dhaka Test as he continues to nurse a thumb injury that he picked up during the ODI series in Bangladesh. Rohit is currently recuperating in Mumbai. Fast bowler Navdeep Saini has also been ruled out* with an abdominal muscle strain.Rohit injured his thumb while fielding in the slips in the second ODI, and was immediately flown home with the aim of having him ready for at least the second Test. Scans in the aftermath of the incident revealed a dislocation that needed a few stitches.ESPNcricinfo understands Rohit’s injury is healing well, but is still deemed risky given the volume of cricket India are due to play over the next two months. He is likely to undergo a medical assessment next week.A BCCI statement sent out on Tuesday said Saini would report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru “for further management of his injury.”With Saini ruled out, India’s pace reserves in Bangladesh have taken another hit, with the first-choice new-ball pair of Jasprit Bumrah (back) and Mohammed Shami (shoulder) already missing the tour. Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav are set to remain India’s preferred quick-bowling options in Dhaka, but should they need a third seamer – or should there be another injury – they are left with only two options to choose from, in Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat.India play six ODIs and as many T20Is in January against Sri Lanka and New Zealand at home, the squad for which will be announced in due course. The white-ball leg will be followed by a four-Test series at home against Australia beginning February 9.It isn’t clear yet if the new selection panel will be in place before the squad is chosen for India’s home season. As on Monday, no interviews had taken place.With Rohit unavailable, KL Rahul will continue to lead India, with Cheteshwar Pujara as his deputy. Rohit’s absence also means Shubman Gill, who hit his maiden Test century in India’s 188-run win in Chattogram, is expected to continue opening the batting with Rahul. Abhimanyu Easwaran is the reserve opener in the squad.The Indian team arrived in Dhaka on Monday morning after wrapping up victory in Chattogram in the opening session of the final day on Sunday. They’re expected to hold two training sessions – on Tuesday and Wednesday – in the lead-up to the second Test at the Shere-Bangla Stadium.*December 20, GMT 0800 The story was updated with the news of Saini’s injury.

Shukri Conrad, South Africa’s new Test coach, has revealed that he took the call to replace Dean Elgar with Temba Bavuma as Test captain.Conrad, who was appointed last month and will start in his new position from the two-Test series against West Indies at home, which starts on February 28, said he had chosen Bavuma because of the strength of their relationship and not because Elgar had underperformed in the role.”This was my decision. I felt Temba and I were a good fit, and Dean’s still going to play a huge part in our leadership group,” Conrad said at a press interaction following the announcement of the squad to play West Indies. “Dean’s done an exceptional job over the last couple of years, and in my conversation with him, that’s something I made clear. This doesn’t make Dean a poor captain and Temba a good captain. But I felt this was the right fit for me and for us going forward.”Related

• South Africa coach Shukri Conrad: 'We've got to do tough better, but we're starting to do tough now'

• SA name McKenzie as batting consultant for WI Tests; van Wyk appointed fielding coach

• South Africa try out pacer workload management

• Theunis de Bruyn retires from international cricket

Though Conrad has never coached a domestic team that Bavuma was a part of, he was the Lions coach when Bavuma would have been at school in Johannesburg, and came across at the national academy. Conrad was also the interim white-ball coach when Bavuma led South Africa to a series win over England last month, and scored a century that led to him earning an SA20 deal.”We’ve come a long way, Temba and I. He knows how I want to do things, and I’ve got a good understanding of how he wants to be involved and run things,” Conrad said. “Our couple of days in Bloemfontein and Kimberley have gone a long way in consolidating the fact that Temba was going to be the captain. Hopefully his performances will keep shining. He’s been a star performer for the Test side. I think captaincy sits well with him.”

Aiden Markram in line to open with Dean Elgar

Elgar remained available for national selection and was going be reunited with former opening partner Aiden Markram, who Conrad confirmed would open the batting against West Indies after being dropped for the Australia series.Markram, who has an average of 24.60 in his last 23 Tests, was preferred over Sarel Erwee, and Conrad indicated he would get a long run in the Test team. “People are always going to be behind Aiden Markram or they are going to say he flatters to deceive. I’m in the former group. Aiden’s going to open the batting,” Conrad said. “He’s a wonderful cricketer and a stroke-player. Aiden and I go back a long way, so I know his character. We’ve got to match characters to that to our selections and the type of cricket we want to play. I say emphatically that he will open the batting with Dean.”That means Tony de Zorzi would have to wait his turn despite being the leading run-scorer in first-class cricket this season so far. South Africa are still going to field a significantly different batting line-up to their previous one. Conrad said he would opt for seven batters and four bowlers, as opposed to the six-five combination South Africa were using, which left them looking a batter light routinely. Secondly, Rassie van der Dussen and Kyle Verreynne have both been dropped, the latter despite finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the Australia series. Conrad made it clear that he considered Heinrich Klaasen, now the wicketkeeper, more deserving than Verreynne at the moment.”Kyle’s omission was tough but ultimately I get paid to make certain calls and subjectivity plays a part. This was my conversation with Kyle. He’s done everything that can be expected. But I think Klaasie has done more and deserves a full crack,” Conrad said. “Klaasie is, in my opinion, not just a batter that we can stick in the field. He’s been battling with an elbow because he’s been forced to be in the field a lot of the time. I’ve always viewed him as a wicketkeeper-batter, so for me it was a straight shootout as to who I wanted. And that’s Klaasie. That’s unfortunate for someone like Kyle. The door is certainly not closed to him.”

‘It’s purely Gerald Coetzee ahead of Lungi Ngidi now

Similarly, tough calls were made in the bowling department, where Lungi Ngidi was left out in favour of Gerald Coetzee. Conrad confirmed Coetzee was likely to debut and that South Africa would go all-pace for the first Test at SuperSport Park. “It’s quite simple for me. I think Gerald Coetzee needs a good run. We all know the promise that Gerald holds, and now’s as good a time as ever to unleash him,” Conrad said. “Without giving too much away, I’d like to think that I’d be in a position to play all our quick bowlers in Centurion. Depending on what the Wanderers throws up, that XI might change. It’s purely Gerald ahead of Lungi right now.”David Miller and Aiden Markram are frontrunners for the T20I captaincy race•AFP/Getty Images

Still, South Africa have included three spinners in the squad in Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy, who played two Tests on the India tour in 2019. Conrad explained that Muthusamy, in particular, had been picked as an allrounder. “I want to increase our allrounder stocks. Allrounders don’t only have to be seam bowlers, they can also be guys who bowl spin,” Conrad said. “In Wiaan (Mulder) and Sen we get that balance. If I want to play four quicks because I think the pitch is going to be a certain way, it gives me the option to play Sen. We need to be quite fluid.”Conrad’s frank comments on selection came against the backdrop of South Africa dispensing with the previous selection panel, which consisted of convener Victor Mpitsang and Patrick Moroney. For now, the head coach – Conrad and white-ball coach Rob Walter – are going to fill that role until CSA come up with a more permanent set-up.”I’ve always believed the coach should have more of a say in selection and a better understanding of what is required, as long as it’s in line with CSA’s bigger strategy,” Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s director of cricket, said. “It is going to be an interim phase, something we want to trial. But I believe the two coaches are the best-positioned people to talk about selection. I have a lot of trust in our two coaches that we are going in the right direction. Shukri and Rob are going to be leading the selection structure with the respective captains.”Bavuma has been given charge of the Test and ODI sides, and Markram, who led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title, and David Miller, who has captained the Paarl Royals, are the frontrunners to lead the T20I team.

The former Real Madrid player will be eligible to play for Mexico next year, which led to fans asking for his inclusion

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He has appeared in 198 matches with América

Fidalgo has scored seven goals in the 2025 ClausuraAmérica will face Pachuca in the "Liguilla" QuarterfinalsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be held across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, is drawing nearer. Amid the growing anticipation, Álvaro Fidalgo’s potential call-up to the Mexican national team has become a topic of discussion in recent months. The Club América midfielder has now spent four years playing in Mexico and holds Mexican nationality, making him eligible to represent next year once he reaches the five-year residency requirement.

Fidalgo has become a fan favorite among América supporters, playing a pivotal role in the team’s three consecutive league titles. He has appeared in 198 matches and is currently wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of Henry Martín. Despite his success in Liga MX and growing connection with Mexican football, the idea of wearing the green jersey remains distant for the Spanish midfielder, who has emerged as a potential candidate to join Javier Aguirre’s squad.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Fidalgo discussed his future at Club America and firmly ruled out the possibility of joining the Mexican national team for the upcoming World Cup, stating that it is not something currently on his radar.

“I have one year left on my contract, and it’s a very complicated topic,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t know exactly how the situation stands. As you mentioned, maybe the coach doesn’t like me—it’s a tricky subject. There's still a lot of time before the World Cup, and I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what my short- or long-term future holds. To be honest, if you ask me today if I’ve thought about it or planned for it, the answer is no. I’m focused on the present, on what’s happening now, and for many reasons, I don’t see myself on the Mexican national team.”

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The reality is that Fidalgo has never truly felt part of, nor shown a strong inclination toward, representing Mexico in his footballing career—or, at the very least, he has been extremely cautious and measured about the topic. In Mexico, there has long been a tendency to push for standout foreign players in Liga MX to join the national team, and Fidalgo's case has often been driven more by media attention than genuine interest from the player himself.

Despite consistently downplaying the possibility of donning the green jersey, the Spaniard’s undeniable quality and status as an idol at the country’s most decorated club make him a natural candidate for. Whether his perspective changes as his eligibility date draws closer next year remains to be seen—and in the end, it may depend on whether he chooses to knock on Aguirre’s door.

Getty Images SportWHAT ÁLVARO FIDALGO SAID

Despite distancing himself from the national team conversation, Fidalgo took the opportunity to praise the level of Mexican football, emphasizing the depth and talent in his position that could fuel the national team’s success.

“There are many quality players in those positions. For example, as a holding midfielder, guys like Edson [Álvarez], [Erik] Lira, and Isra [Reyes]—who can also play right-back or center-back—are doing a great job," he said. "In the No. 8 role, you have ‘Chiquito’ Sánchez, Luis Chávez, Charly Rodríguez, Marcel Ruiz, and a very promising young player in Elías Montiel. As a No. 10, you’ve got Julián [Quiñones], Orbelín [Pineda], Carlos Rodríguez, and many other great players."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM?

Aguirre’s team will face Switzerland on June 7 in Utah, followed by a match against Turkey on June 10 in North Carolina, as part of their preparations for the Gold Cup, which kicks off on the 14th of the same month.

West Ham United are facing a summer rebuild under new manager Graham Potter, and the squad could look very different by the start of the next Premier League season.

West Ham players who could leave at the end of the season

The Hammers have some key decisions to make in regard to notable squad members, with Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Danny Ings and Michail Antonio all set to leave West Ham on free deals this year as things stand.

Related West Ham open talks with striker's agent amid potential £62m discount

He could leave for millions less than his release clause.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Feb 21, 2025

Those players’ deals expire in July, meaning they’re free to find new clubs with zero compensation to West Ham. Long-serving goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is in the same boat, but it is worth noting that Potter’s side have a one-year extension option in the Pole’s contract.

Uncertainty also surrounds the future of Lucas Paqueta, who is currently at the centre of match-fixing allegations, while another star player in winger Mohammed Kudus may well leave West Ham this summer.

West Ham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Arsenal (away)

Today

Leicester City (home)

February 27th

Newcastle United (home)

March 10th

Everton (away)

March 15th

Wolves (away)

April 1st

Reports in the build-up to January claimed that Kudus is frustrated at West Ham, and the Ghanaian has so far not matched his imperious 2023/24 form with a spell of inconsistency on the field.

His contract includes an £85m release clause which will become active this summer, but it is unclear which sides would be eager to fork out such a marquee fee.

Loanee midfielder Carlos Soler is likely to return to PSG after his loan spell, while some media sources suggest that West Ham could look to sell Jean-Clair Todibo immediately after triggering the obligation to buy in his temporary deal from Nice.

West Ham have no option to buy Evan Ferguson after his loan, meaning Potter will be a striker short once again before the summer window opens.

Luizao in talks to leave West Ham with transfer expected

According to club insider ExWHUemployee, we can add young Brazilian defender Luizao to the growing list of players who are expected to depart Rush Green sooner rather than later.

The 22-year-old has found it difficult to break into West Ham’s senior side since signing for the east Londoners from Sao Paulo in 2023, with the David Moyes signing now looking for an alternate route into first-team football.

Luizao is now in talks to join Pogoń Szczecin from West Ham, and a transfer is even expected to happen in the next few days.

“Brazilian academy defender Luizao is in talks to join Polish side Pogoń Szczecin,” reported Ex.

“The player had been in talks about both a loan and permanent move and was keen to start playing first-team football.

“Despite his young age, the Brazilian has a wife and kids and is looking to settle somewhere and kick on with a first-team career. The Polish transfer window closes this Monday and Luizao is expected to make his move official before then.”

Once called a “fantastic” young player by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, his stay at West Ham has been a disappointing one.

With shock defeat against Scottish Championship side Queen’s Park only continuing a season to forget for Rangers, one insider has now shared when the Gers could decide to show Philippe Clement the door.

Rangers shocked by Queen's Park

To say it’s been a nightmare campaign for Clement would be an understatement. His side showed plenty of promise when he took over last season, before a mini overhaul failed to go to plan and left the Gers a world away from runaway leaders Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

Having already suffered heartbreak against their rivals in the Scottish League Cup final earlier in the campaign, Rangers turned towards the Scottish Cup in a bid to salvage things. On paper, Clement’s side had a routine day ahead against Scottish Championship side Queen’s Park with Ibrox expecting a swift victory before it was all eyes on the draw.

In reality, however, those at Ibrox got anything but a routine victory. Instead, they were shell-shocked by underdogs Queen’s Park, who snatched a 1-0 win of their own courtesy of Sebastian Drozd’s effort from the bench.

The drama didn’t stop there though, with Calum Ferrie soon becoming the hero of the hour when he saved James Tavernier’s stoppage-time penalty to seal a famous day for his side.

Rangers must now ditch "anonymous" 2/10 ace alongside James Tavernier

Rangers suffered a shocking defeat to Queen’s Park on Sunday

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 10, 2025

Those at Ibrox, meanwhile, have been left to mull over a disastrous afternoon and have now set a date when they could sack Clement.

When Rangers could sack Clement

According to former scout Mick Brown, Rangers could sack Clement if his side fall to defeat in the Europa League. The Gers will face one of Anderlecht, Bodo/Glomt, Fenerbahce or FC Twente in the last 16 as their manager looks to once again save his job.

Brown told Football Insider: “His positions at Rangers always looks vulnerable to me. You’re always at risk as a manager when results aren’t going your way. They qualified for the next round of the Europa League, and that might be his get out of jail free card which keeps him in the job for now.

“But if they lose their next game in Europe, then I expect he will be sacked. They’re 13 points behind Celtic, they’ve been knocked out of the Scottish Cup, then if they blow it in Europe too, things aren’t looking good. That’s when these things tend to happen.

“While they’re still in Europe, there’s still an outside bit of hope that they can maybe do something special. But they don’t strike me as a side who can handle pressure, and disaster results like that one against Queens Park don’t surprise me. It always feels like there’s a nightmare around the corner there.”

The big question is just who Rangers will turn to should they decide to show Clement the door. The Scottish giants will be back to square one after moulding their side in the Belgian’s identity last summer.

Already so far behind Celtic too, Rangers cannot afford to get their next decision wrong – whether that’s sacking Clement or turning towards a fresh appointment.

The pair got together at 151 for 7 and have added 79 so far

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2022

Cometh the hour, cometh the man – with some help. Fawad Alam has not had a bad season, certainly not poor enough to have been dropped from the Pakistan Test side. But it has not been as prolific, perhaps, as previous seasons; an average of 57 masking a series of starts that he has not cashed in on. But on the first day of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, there he was doing what Fawad Alam has been doing pretty much all his career: saving his side.Having been put into bat, Alam arrived with Sindh relatively stable at 112 for 3. But over the afternoon session, they would fall to 151 for 7 against Northern, before an unbroken 79-run stand between Alam and Asif Mehmood took Sindh to a slightly more secure 230 for 7 when the end arrived nine overs early because of fading light. Mehmood was the real hero, an 89-ball unbeaten 56 at close his maiden first class fifty. But Alam’s presence through the collapse and then the partnership itself was exactly the calm Sindh needed.At the centre of Sindh’s mini collapse was Mubasir Khan, the young offspinning allrounder who has, in some ways, been the player of the season. He’s the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament this season and has scored over 500 runs for the season at an average above 50. He took two wickets today, building on the two early breakthroughs provided by Mohammad Musa Khan in the morning session.Both sides are missing key players, called up for Pakistan’s Test squad as they prepare for the series with England. Both the regular captains – Northern’s Nauman Ali and Sindh’s Saud Shakeel are currently with Pakistan, while Sarfaraz Ahmed, the leggie Zahid Mehmood and this season’s breakthrough, Sindh’s Abrar Ahmed are also with the Pakistan squad.