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This has been a testing first window as Arsenal Sporting Director for Andrea Berta so far. Then again, it was never going to be easy was it?

The Gunners desperately need a new striker and the footballing world knows that. RB Leipzig and Sporting are trying to milk Arsenal for all Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres are worth.

The Londoners have reportedly held talks to sign both players but at this moment in time, a deal doesn’t look too forthcoming.

Still, Arsenal are active and Berta is working his socks off to ensure that Mikel Arteta’s side are ready for that opening weekend’s encounter against Manchester United.

The arrival of Martin Zubimendi will certainly help.

Arsenal’s pursuit of new midfielders

The Gunners are set to confirm the arrival of Zubimendi from Real Sociedad any day now.

The Spaniard was first linked with the club back in January when it was revealed that Arsenal were ready to trigger the midfielder’s release clause.

Fast forward several months and a deal is now on the verge of completion with it reported that he was in London over the weekend to tie up the formalities of his switch to the Emirates Stadium.

Zubimendi isn’t the only midfielder Arsenal have been tracking.

Indeed, according to TBR Football, they are ‘trying’ to sign PSG’s highly talented teenager, Warren Zaire-Emery.

Transfer Focus

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

They understand that the Gunners started talks with the Champions League winners last week regarding a move.

However, any deal looks incredibly unlikely with the Ligue 1 side informing Arsenal that the 19-year-old is not for sale.

They note that if a switch did happen, Berta and Co would need to come armed with a ‘significant’ offer.

What makes Zaire-Emery so special

With Jorginho having exited the Emirates on a free transfer and Thomas Partey’s Arsenal adventure potentially set to come to a conclusion, Arteta needs more midfielders.

Zubimendi certainly ticks one box. European football expert, Sid Lowe, has previously noted that the 26-year-old “is just about as good a deep-lying midfielder there is in Europe, apart from maybe Rodri”.

So, wouldn’t it be rather special if he were partnered alongside Zaire-Emery?

The PSG sensation may be young but the fact of the matter is that he’s rather special. The teenager’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has already described him as “one of the best midfielders in the world” while data analyst Ben Mattinson notes that he is an “Mbappe at Monaco level of talent”, largely thanks to his blend of skills.

Arsenal have enjoyed the talents of some of the best young players in Europe throughout the years, none more so in the current day than Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Yet, Zaire-Emery reminds us of a certain Cesc Fabregas.

The Spaniard was younger than the French superstar when he moved to London, just 16, but his impact in the Premier League quickly helped him to showcase why he was one of the best young players in world football.

He eventually left Arsenal behind having scored 57 and assisted 95 in 303 outings. Named captain of the club when he was just 21, making him the youngest skipper in their history, there have been few better midfielders to grace Highbury and the Emirates over the last 20 years.

In short, he was a generational talent, an assist machine, someone who oozed class and could pass through the lines like very players on the planet.

Zaire-Emery, a player generating the same level of hype Fabregas was as a teenager, is cut from a similar cloth. He notably made his Champions League debut at the age of just 17, and since then, he’s gone from strength to strength.

1. Youssoufa Moukoko

Dortmund

16 years, 18 days

2. Lamine Yamal

Barcelona

16 years, 2 months

3. Rayan Cherki

Lyon

16 years, 3 months

4. Alen Halilovic

Zagreb

16 years, 4 months, 6 days

5. Youri Tielemans

Anderlecht

16 years, 4 months, 25 days

6. Francesco Camarda

AC Milan

16 years, 7 months, 12 days

7. Warren Zaire-Emery

PSG

16 years, 7 months, 17 days

8. Charalampos Mavrias

Panathinaikos

16 years, 7 months, 29 days

Compared to midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, he ranks in the top 3% for pass success rate, the top 9% for passes made and the best 10% for switches, a ball that travels more than 40 yards the width of the pitch.

What those numbers rubberstamp is the comparison to Fabregas, one of the best passers of the modern era.

While PSG’s teen superstar doesn’t quite possess the same rate of assists just yet – producing just two last season – his ability as a deep-lying playmaker certainly evokes memories of Fabregas in the latter stages of his career.

As for his development as a youngster, it certainly has hallmarks of the way the Spaniard burst onto the scene all those years ago.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 23, 2025

Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta has now contacted another club’s director over signing an alternative to Sporting CP superstar Viktor Gyokeres, with “concrete talks” also ongoing for his signature.

Arsenal reported to be in advanced talks for Viktor Gyokeres

Over the last fortnight, a plethora of reports in the Portuguese media, and some closer to home, indicated that the Gunners were seriously advancing when it comes to Gyokeres’ signature.

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By
Emilio Galantini

May 23, 2025

Portuguese newspaper O Jogo boldly claimed in its Monday headline that Gyokeres is “on his way to Arsenal”, even reporting that a £59 million fee was agreed, while fellow outlet A Bola reported news of a £135,000-per-week salary offer from Mikel Arteta’s side.

Viktor Gyokeres’ best games for Sporting in the Primeira Liga this season	Match Rating
Boavista 0-5 Sporting CP	10.0
Sporting CP 5-1 Estrela de Amadora	10.0
Sporting CP 3-1 Moreirense	9.91
Sporting CP 3-0 AVS Futebol SAD	9.68
Nacional 1-6 Sporting CP	9.52
via WhoScored

CaughtOffside shared similar information, namely that Arsenal had entered advanced talks to sign Gyokeres, but claimed the overall package on offer for the 26-year-old was actually closer to £10 million per year.

These differentiating claims all have one thing in common, which is that the ex-Coventry City star, who’s scored an incredible 53 goals in all competitions this season, appears to be on the verge of a north London move.

Berta is also said to be a major admirer of Gyokeres and has been pushing hard to secure the Scandinavian’s signature ahead of other interested clubs, according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.

However, that isn’t to say Berta doesn’t have a Plan B or alternative targets, amid some reports that Arteta actually prefers RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko over Gyokeres as a potential arrival.

Journalist Simon Phillips wrote last week via his Substack that Arteta still wants Sesko at Arsenal, one year after their offer to the Slovenian was publicly rejected in favour of a contract extension at Leipzig (Fabrizio Romano).

Now, according to a fresh update from Sky’s Plettenberg, it appears Berta is attempting to grant Arteta his wish, despite their recent talks over Gyokeres.

Arsenal "in concrete talks" to sign RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko

Taking to X, the reporter claimed on Friday that Arsenal are “in concrete talks” to sign Sesko from Leipzig, and Berta has contacted their director, Marcel Schafer, for negotiations over the Bundesliga striker, who’s scored 21 goals in all competitions.

Sesko’s £67 million release clause could prove tempting for Berta and Arteta, considering he’s improved on his goal tally from last season and boasts certain physical traits which could help him become a success in the Premier League.

One of them, as per former Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell, is Sesko’s revered speed.

“Benjamin Šeško is among the game’s top young talents and has enormous potential to become a top player,” said Vivell.

“He has all the qualities to do that. He’s extremely quick, has a great jump on him and is strong in the air. Benjamin is a real goalscorer, who, despite his 1.95m (6’4″), is mobile and technically strong. His abilities make him a special player with a special profile.”

Arsenal’s search for a new number nine appears to have taken a fresh turn, but they could do far worse than Sesko, who’s one of Germany’s most lethal marksmen.

Arsenal are expected to sign world football’s “second best” player with the groundwork for a deal already done, according to a very reliable media source.

Andrea Berta holds talks with key Arsenal targets

New sporting director Andrea Berta is set to take the lead in what is anticipated to be a pretty busy summer window for the north Londoners.

Arsenal make offer to £30m star after Berta successfully convinced Arteta

The Italian and Arsenal’s manager are already working on the club’s transfer plans this summer.

9 ByEmilio Galantini May 9, 2025

Nuno Tavares, Albert Sami Lokonga, Fabio Vieira and Oleksandr Zinchenko could all quit Arsenal in the summer, according to Sami Mokbel, with Jorginho also agreeing to join Flamengo and Kieran Tierney set to make a return to Celtic after their contracts expire.

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

If Arsenal don’t agree an extension with Thomas Partey, following his arguably best season at the Emirates to date, then the Ghana international will follow them – so it appears there will be plenty of ins and outs.

In terms of incomings, Berta is believed to have reached out to the representatives of a few key summer targets already.

Recently, the Italian has been pushing to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, with extensive discussions held, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

As well as this, Berta reached out for talks with Nico Williams’ representatives in one of his first acts as sporting director, as per The Guardian’s Ed Aarons, with Arsenal exploring a move for one of La Liga’s standout talents.

However, one man who could be arriving before any of them is Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi.

The Gunners have been in advanced talks for his signature since January (The Mail), and the reliable David Ornstein says that those within Arsenal are behaving like they’ve already sealed a deal for Zubimendi.

Arsenal expected to sign Martin Zubimendi this summer

Now, a very credible source in the BBC, and their reporter Mokbel, have shared an update of their own.

Arsenal are very much expected to sign Zubimendi, according to their information, and the groundwork for a deal has already been done, largely by ex-sporting director Edu Gaspar and interim chief Jason Ayto.

The Spain international’s £51 million release clause looks likely to be triggered, but Arsenal should be wary that Zubimendi rejected a move to Liverpool last summer.

Arsenal will be eager to get this over the line early doors after months of negotiations, especially considering Zubimendi’s pedigree as a truly elite number six.

“For me, Martín is the second-best player in the world. We are incredibly lucky to have these two, who I consider the best players in the world.” said Spain boss Luis de la Fuente on Zubimendi and Rodri.

“But we also have other fantastic players who’ve been here and are with us now—another fantastic player, Pepelu hasn’t come yet, but he’s been called up with us.”

Every team with aspirations of winning the league needs a good goalkeeper. Leeds United are testing that theory to the max this season, with No 1 Illan Meslier being guilty of several high-profile errors as the Whites chase promotion from the Championship.

The Frenchman never seems too far away from an unfortunate gaffe, putting Leeds’ dreams of playing in the Premier League next season at great risk.

While he has added plenty to his catalogue of errors this season, Meslier has been no stranger to a dodgy mistake during his time at Leeds. Here, we take a look at his worst moments between the sticks.

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Posts 2 ByCharlie Smith Feb 25, 2025 1 Leeds v Newcastle, 2021/22 Meslier lets Shelvey free-kick slip through his hands

It isn’t just in the Championship that Meslier has dropped a clanger or two, and one of his worst moments in the top flight came in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Meslier somehow allowed a Jonjo Shelvey free-kick to slip through his grasp despite standing right behind the ball.

You could argue the bodies in front of him were a distraction, but it was an awful goal for any goalkeeper to concede, and cost Leeds in what was a relegation clash at the time.

2 Arsenal v Leeds, 2021/22 Nketiah pounces on hesitant Meslier to gift Gunners lead

Later that season, Leeds were in huge relegation bother and entered a tie against an in-form Arsenal just two points above the drop.

Therefore, it was a time for calm heads and not letting games get away from themselves. Unfortunately, Meslier didn’t get the memo, as he allowed Gunners striker Eddie Nketiah to steal in when he dawdled on the ball after just five minutes.

In fairness to Meslier, the whole team imploded that day, going down to 10 players in the first half and dooming themselves to defeat before eventually escaping relegation on the final day.

3 Everton v Leeds, 2022/23 Bizarre positioning leads to Seamus Coleman wondergoal

Perhaps the worst of times to make a mistake is during a tense relegation dogfight, but that’s exactly what Meslier did during Leeds’ fateful 2022/23 campaign.

Facing another rival for top-flight safety in Everton back in February 2023, Leeds were outside of the bottom three by a point, knowing that defeat at Goodison Park would plunge them into the drop zone.

Leeds were holding the Toffees at bay until a long ball found Seamus Coleman down the right-hand side, and despite there being nobody in the box for a cross, the Irishman fired in a ball that completely caught Meslier out.

The Frenchman appeared to be set up for a cross, but had left his goal exposed in the process. It was an embarrassing goal to concede, and that’s putting it kindly.

4 Leeds v Portsmouth, 2024/25 Goalkeeper flaps at Sorensen strike to concede cheap equaliser

It appears that Meslier started the 2024/25 campaign as he meant to go on, as the first league goal Leeds conceded this term was a soft one, to say the least.

1-0 up against newly promoted Portsmouth at Elland Road, the promotion favourites will have felt in control until Meslier somehow let a shot from Elias Sorensen go straight through him.

What should have been a routine stop turned into an equaliser, and gave Pompey the confidence to take the lead twice on the day before the Whites salvaged a draw.

5 Sunderland v Leeds, 2024/25 Meslier drops all-time clanger (and two valuable points)

Perhaps the worst mistake on this list is Meslier’s inexplicable clanger right at the end of Leeds’ trip to Sunderland back in October.

With Leeds holding out against their promotion rivals after coming from behind to lead at the Stadium of Light, they had one set piece to defend to secure all the points.

And despite Leeds seemingly dealing with it as a deflection off Junior Firpo had the ball calmly sailing towards Meslier, the Frenchman made an almighty howler by completely misjudging the bouncing ball, handing the Black Cats an unlikely point at the death.

6 Preston v Leeds, 2024/25 Frenchman parries ball into side-netting

Leeds were left to rescue a point against Preston North End just before Christmas after Meslier’s poor attempt at keeping out Brad Potts’ effort threatened to inflict a third away defeat in four games.

Potts turned home a cross from Milutin Osmajic to give the hosts the lead, but the shot was straight at Meslier, and while by no means his worst mistake in Leeds colours, he will have been bitterly disappointed at how weakly he dealt with a rather tame attempt on goal.

Meslier simply pushed the ball into his side-net, with his positioning also to blame.

7 Hull v Leeds, 2024/25 Meslier drops ball from under crossbar to spark Tigers comeback

Leeds had done superbly well to hit back from going a goal down early on against Hull City, and had led by two thanks to Joel Piroe’s fine strike in the 72nd minute.

But another set-piece mistake in the final 10 minutes saw Meslier try to catch a ball likely heading over his crossbar, only to drop it at the feet of a grateful Joao Pedro.

You could argue he was culpable for all of the goals Leeds conceded that day, but the second one was the pivotal moment of the match, and it led to Abu Kamara’s eventual late equaliser.

8 Sheff Utd v Leeds, 2024/25 Goalie scores OG in huge Championship clash

Meslier may have got away with this one, but there’s no getting away from the fact he made a big error in a big game.

Early in their top-of-the-table clash against Sheffield United, the Frenchman ended up making an astounding stop from Callum O’Hare’s close-range effort, only to clumsily knock in a header from Tyrese Campbell that had hit the post.

Goals from Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe got the Whites (and Meslier) out of jail, but the Leeds No 1 almost cost them in their biggest match of the season.

9 Leeds v Swansea, 2024/25 Meslier guilty of multiple errors to dent promotion hopes

Leeds’ form has been up and down as we enter the final month of the league campaign, and Meslier’s poor goalkeeping reared its head once more in the Whites’ recent clash with Swansea City.

Daniel Farke’s side led twice through Brenden Aaronson and Wilfried Gnonto, but Meslier was chiefly responsible for at least one of the visitors’ goals.

He dropped a Swansea corner to gift Harry Darling an equaliser prior to what looked like a Gnonto winner, but then let a rasping drive from Zan Vipotnik through his body as the Swans snatched a point at Elland Road.

Vipotnik’s shot was certainly struck well enough, but it squirmed underneath Meslier into the bottom corner to hand their rivals another leg up in the promotion race.

Meslier’s howlers surely put his Leeds future at risk, regardless of whether they get promotion this year. Having missed out last season and dropped points late on due to his errors alone, it is a problem Farke will have to fix sooner rather than later.

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Ahead of his final Test, Angelo Mathews looks back at a long, eventful career

Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Jun-2025In the first few years of your international career, it felt like you were a little bulletproof. You’d captained age-group teams, and suddenly you were the dynamic young allrounder in one of the greatest Sri Lanka teams that ever was. What do you remember of that start?I’d like to start off by thanking the Almighty, and then my parents, my wife, my kids, my siblings – everyone who has sacrificed a lot for me. Starting from school, I got every opportunity to study and excel in sports. I’m very thankful to my college, all my teachers, past presidents, rectors, my coaches from under-13 to first XI.I got those opportunities, and then I was able to excel and get myself to achieve the target of any cricketer’s dream – playing for the national team. I was suddenly called up to a team that I used to watch on TV. Those were my heroes. The next minute I’m with them, getting myself ready to play again. I was shocked. But the seniors helped me feel at home.Related

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You’re sitting here a much wiser man. How do you feel about the Angelo of that early era who was playing ridiculous amounts of cricket as an allrounder? Do you think about missed opportunities to set yourself up for a sustainable peak, or do you judge yourself with a bit more kindness?I didn’t actually think about my workload management. As I said, I’ve seen a stat where from 2010 to 2015 I have played the most number of games in the entire world. So that speaks for itself.I would say the only other regret I have in my career is that I couldn’t achieve the 10,000-run mark. But every other thing, I’ve given my best in every situation. I’ve tried to win games for my country in every situation. Giving 100% to your team in every single game is another thing, so I was wanting to play all three formats and contribute with bat, ball, and in the field, in every single game. I was absolutely going for it.Obviously, I could have done things better. It was in 2018 that I sat down with Dilshan Fonseka (men’s team trainer) and looked at the amount of injuries that I had. He told me that my body couldn’t bear it. So I changed everything – the way I eat, my lifestyle, and my training.The Headingley Test was one of the highlights of Angelo Mathews’ career•AFPWe’ll get to how you changed things up a bit later, but ahead of your final Test, I wanted to also talk to you about what most people remember as maybe your greatest Test innings – the 160 in Headingley. This was at your very peak…That was one of the standouts in my career, I would say. I remember quite a few innings where I was also surprised with how well I batted, and that is definitely one of the innings. That England tour was a very heated competition between the two teams, especially starting from the one-dayers where they were targeting me as the captain. I took that energy and I transferred it into my focus and performances and that helped me play that aggressive sort of cricket. I’m pretty happy with what we did on that tour, as a team, and for me as a cricketer and captain.The young Angelo was very cool, calm and collected. That England tour was when we saw a bit of grumpiness come in…It all started with that mankading incident in the one-dayers. I’d say we’d given them enough warnings, especially in the previous game, where they were stealing quite a few runs. Both teams were grumpy. The laws weren’t that strict [on player behaviour] back then, so we exchanged a lot of words.You were doing a lot of things for this team at the time, though. You were captaining. You were expected to finish games with the bat, but you were also playing match-saving innings. You were opening the bowling in limited-overs games, and also playing a role with the ball in Tests. And you were quite young – did it feel unfair to be loaded with so much responsibility?No, every single captain goes through this. I’ve lost a lot of hair during the tenure. Not many captains have a lot of hair left. Whether you’re captaining Sri Lanka or wherever, there’s always that added responsibility. Everyone is watching you, everyone is waiting to hear from you. So that sometimes can be a bit of a pain, but I enjoyed it. Sometimes I did feel like I wanted to give up. But then I said to myself, ‘You’ve been given this opportunity. Try and take the team to another level.’In 2018, something extremely unusual happened to you. You essentially got called fat by coach Chandika Hathurusingha, in one of the most insulting ways, and you were dropped from the team you had been asked to resume captaincy of. Does that still make you angry?No, I think you shouldn’t be holding on to things. You need to learn to let go. You don’t need to react. I’ve been brought up in a way where my parents and in my school, everyone has taught me to understand and then respect people. Later, things got a bit too ugly. Let’s say, whatever, whoever said about me, I didn’t really care because I know people have their own opinions.Angelo Mathews celebrated his Test hundred at Basin Reserve with a set of push-ups•Getty ImagesBut you did react at the time, and it was putting obvious pressure on you. When you hit a hundred at the Basin Reserve, you did push ups to almost defy the coach who was calling you unfit…Whatever the selectors and the coach decide is out of my control, so I was just trying to control what was in my control. In the heat of the moment, I did some push-ups, and I did react. But I didn’t want to react like that without performing.Another fun little moment came in that 2019 ODI World Cup match against West Indies, when you hadn’t bowled in months, even in the nets, but offered to make up the overs right at the end of the game. And you ended up taking a wicket!chuckles I hadn’t bowled in about six months, but I knew [captain] Dimuth Karunaratne was running out of options because all our top bowlers were finishing their quota of overs. And then I said to Dimuth, bowl our best bowlers for now and try and get this wicket. If in case, if they don’t get out and if you’re stuck with a couple of overs, I can still bowl you those two overs.Unfortunately the quota was finished with our best bowlers, and then I had to eventually roll my arm over. I think the experience paid off. I knew I couldn’t bowl onto Nicholas Pooran’s legs because he was so strong – he was just picking everything up from his legs and hitting it over the boundaries. So I knew that I had to go wider to him, and then I just went wide to him, and he just nicked it.

“Fitness plays a major part nowadays because of the volume of cricket that we play. I understand the value of being fit. I just want to encourage the younger generation to keep pushing.”Angelo Mathews

You’ve also spoken about reorganising your relationship with food around 2018. Is that something you wish you did earlier?I’d say yes, but then all the way until 2018, I was playing all three formats and didn’t really have the opportunity of being able to block out time for just training. You need at least six to eight weeks for that. Once I started getting injured constantly, I thought I needed to slow things down and think of what I actually needed to do rather than just playing. That’s when that meeting with Dilshan happened. I was doing a lot of static training, but needed to change to a lot of functional training. I made that change and feel absolutely brilliant.After being called fat for several years, you’re now posting shirtless mirror selfies with your abs popping in your mid to late 30s. That’s got to feel good…laughs Yes, I’m feeling good. I just want to inspire the younger generation. Fitness plays a major part nowadays because of the volume of cricket that we play. I understand the value of being fit. I just want to encourage the younger generation to keep pushing.We got some very grumpy moments from you late in your career too. I’m thinking of that heated press conference where you went all out against Bangladesh after you got timed out…I think that was one of the times that I did speak quite a lot because I was angry and I felt disappointed. I hadn’t done anything wrong. When I showed the video to the match referee and the umpires post-game, they realised it and said sorry. But that was a very crucial game for us and I felt like I was targeted. I don’t know what prompted them to appeal.I felt that the umpires should have got involved a little bit more. I certainly didn’t cross the two-minute mark when I went to the crease. It was obvious that my helmet broke at the time and not before I walked into the ground. So it was a fair reason for me to get angry.Any Sri Lankan player, and particularly someone who has captained as long as you, has many off-field battles to fight through their career as well. Any battles that stick out?There was one phase where some of the past cricketers were coming out and saying unnecessary stuff [about corruption] without evidence. That really hurt the entire team. You shouldn’t drag the players into it. I just urge them to produce evidence in front of everyone, but don’t just say things for the sake of it, because it tarnishes the team’s reputation. This was around 2018, when the big allegations were happening and the ICC had started an investigation in Sri Lanka, and they went through the entire team. It was a very disturbing thing for everyone.There will always be attempts to topple the administration, and that’s not our business. But they shouldn’t be dragging players into it.Now, there is a bill passed anyway (Sri Lanka has criminalised sports fixing), so if someone talks rubbish we can raise it according to the law. Back then we didn’t have anything.Are you glad that bill has passed?Yes, because it stops the rubbish that people say. If they want to say something and have evidence, then no problem.Moving back to your cricket, are there any parts of your record you look at now and are especially proud of?To finish third on the list of Sri Lanka’s Test run-scorers, behind two of the greatest that have ever played for Sri Lanka (Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene) – that makes me really proud. I know there is regret about 10,000, but I’m happy reaching 8000-odd. Due to injuries I couldn’t play a lot of Test cricket as well. But I’m fortunate that despite that, I was able to play 118 Tests.Dinesh Chandimal, Rangana Herath and Angelo Mathews during a lap of honour after the series win against Australia in 2016•AFPYou had two truly outstanding Test series wins in your record as captain – 2014 series win in England, and the 3-0 home whitewash against Australia in 2016. Were those your favourites?Yeah, they’re my two top ones. Because winning against England in England is a very tough ask.Against Australia, wherever you play, it’s going to be a challenge. We all know that they are a very strong team. And then to beat them 3-0, when they were number one at the time as well, with a young set of guys, was incredible. Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva were performing, and we were able to complete a whitewash with Rangana Herath leading the bowling.I know you’re available for white-ball cricket for a little while, but you must be thinking of post-retirement life. What does that look like for you?I haven’t decided. Cricket has given me everything. I would like to give back in whatever capacity. I’ll still keep playing for a year or two in leagues and other stuff if that comes my way. I feel I can still contribute to the game.I’d also like to thank SLC for all their support from 2008 till now. I’d love to thank the support staff since 2008 as well. A special mention to all the back-room coaches at the high performance centre, and all the other stuff there – the masseurs and masseuses, and the physios – everyone. Day in day out, they have helped me personally, and they have helped the teams, without much recognition. I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the back-end staff at HPC. They’ve worked extremely hard to keep us fit and keep us in good form.

The 100,000-strong Ahmedabad crowd made itself heard, but it was a shame there was almost no green in that vastness of blue

Sambit Bal14-Oct-2023There is noise. And, then there is noise as force: pure, purposeful, and meant to deliver a punch.Through the years of the IPL, and the multitude of T20 leagues, we have grown accustomed to the former kind. It’s constant, blaring, engineered and soulless. Noise for the sake of noise: you must make plenty of it because it’s being demanded, and it’s supposed to be part of the entertainment bundle you signed up for.You scream at fours and sixes, you flail about between balls and overs, you sway sideways, flash your phone lights, become part of Mexican waves: you are part of the performance, you allow yourself to be conducted. You know it, and the players know it. They block it out as white noise.And then you get to places and matches where the crowds know what they are doing.Related

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• Jasprit Bumrah and spin do the trick as India hand Pakistan another World Cup beating

• India's bowling unit: Gods of small things

The Narendra Modi Stadium is built to be imposing, a nod to muscular exhibitionism and a symbol of Indian cricket’s pole position in the sport. It beats the Melbourne Cricket Ground by at least 20,000 seats, and though not as tall and colosseum-like as the MCG, its vastness makes it feel as gladiatorial. And it’s safe to say that cricket has never seen as many blue jerseys at a venue as it did today.Every inch of this stadium was packed for the last IPL final despite it being pushed by a day on account of rain but never had this ground hosted an India match of this magnitude. The previous ODI games here were played during the Covid era, and the Test match during Border-Gavaskar Trophy, despite the pomp of two prime ministers making a grandstand appearance, was thinly attended. So here it was, the real deal, the day this stadium you hope was built for, to be bathed in cacophonous blue. And when the moments came, it produced the noise so quintessentially organic to the Indian cricket experience.It began in the middle of that phase when Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, whose originality and wicket-taking threat form the heart of this versatile Indian bowling machine, were hastening a Pakistani meltdown from a cushy 155 for 2. Stadium regulars would know the drill. The routine begins at the start of the bowler’s run-up with a collective swoosh and gathers decibels in sync with the bowler – in this case Bumrah – running in, reaching peak volume at the point of delivery. It’s rhythmic, full of intent, and if you are the batter, full of menace.This is a case of fans recognising a moment and becoming one with it. Players recognise this too, and they feel the energy and feed off it.No Pakistani cricketer would have played before a crowd as large, and as vociferously partisan, as this and though international players are internally wired to steel themselves against it, for them not to sense this air of intimidation would have been impossible. They would have expected it and prepared for it, but having never played India in India, and having played all their World Cup games against other teams in friendly Hyderabad, an experience such as this needs to be lived to be learnt. As forgettable as their performance was at this ground, the experience might remain unforgettable.No ambiguity in whom the fans are supporting•ICC/Getty ImagesIt didn’t have to be this one-sided though. The last time these two teams met at an ICC event, the crowd was nearly as large. And Virat Kohli’s biomechanics-defying six off Haris Rauf, followed by another to tilt a near-impossible equation towards India, turned the match into a humdinger. But though, like everywhere else, the Indian fans easily outnumbered the Pakistanis, there was at least a contest in the stands. And from all accounts, the sloganeering, baiting and banter was good-natured, and it spilt over to the streets and pubs in the evening.I have watched India and Pakistan play in Lahore, Bengaluru, Adelaide, Centurion, Johannesburg, and now Ahmedabad, and never has a cricket ground felt so hopelessly lacking in something so essential: one group of fans. A small group of Pakistani journalists have finally made it to the tournament, after their long wait for a visa to India ended just in time for this game, but no fans have managed to cross the border yet. And there is no word yet on whether they will be able to.Mickey Arthur, the Pakistan team director, didn’t mince his words after the game. “It didn’t seem like an ICC event tonight, let’s be brutally honest,” he said at the press conference. “It seemed like a bilateral series, a BCCI event. I didn’t hear coming through the microphones tonight. Yes, that [the possibility of being intimidated by a partisan crowd] does play a role, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse. For us, it was about living the moment, it was about the next ball, and it was about how we’re going to combat the Indian players.”Pakistan, in keeping with their performance against India in the World Cup – 0-8 with this defeat – were abysmal once again. But despite that, this match was this tournament’s biggest draw. And Arthur was spot on. The World Cup is billed, rightfully, as the biggest festival of cricket, and it will continue to feel like a travesty, and an act of neglect, if the organisers fail to ensure the participation of the whole cricket world in it, particularly those who give it colour and life.

Relive ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary as Australia seal a 4-0 series win

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-202216.1, Green to Burns, OUT
Chopped on! Australia have the breakthrough and it’s a familiar type of dismissal for Burns, on the stroke of tea/dinner. Angling in from around the wicket, unsure whether to play or leave. He opts for the latter, but too late to get his bat out of the way, and he only manages to deflect it onto his own stumps! Green strikes, England’s highest opening stand of the series is broken.
20.5, Green to Malan, OUT
Brilliant bowling! This has been outstanding from Green. It’s an inside edge in the end, but Malan has been worked over. Short of a length from round the wicket, Malan is late bringing his bat down and it deflects into the stumps.
Dawid Malan chops onto his own stumps•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images22.2, Green to Crawley, OUT
Edged, gone! Magical spell from Green. Full at off stump, lures the drive and Carey dives to his right to grab a neat one.
27.5, Starc to Stokes, OUT
Taken at deep square leg! Superb catch running in from Lyon. Starc dropped in the short ball and Stokes went after it. He didn’t try to keep it down. Lyon makes good ground in off the rope and takes it diving forward.
Stokes departs, Cummins and Starc celebrate•AFP/Getty Images31.4, Boland to Root, OUT
Keeps low, smashes into off stump! Root doesn’t hit a single ball with his new bat after drinks. This is a real grubber, shooting through low and crashing into the bottom of the stump, underneath the toe-end of his bat. Root’s series is over, another without a hundred in Australia. Not much he could have done about that one!
Root loses his off stump to a shooter•AFP/Getty Images

If England are quick they could still make Djokovic’s flight.

— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) January 16, 2022