Major blow: £40k-p/w Nottingham Forest star now set to miss multiple games

As Nottingham Forest go in pursuit of confirming their Champions League qualification, they’ll have to do so without Chris Wood and now one other key man following Nuno Espirito Santo’s latest injury update.

When Chris Wood will return from injury

After returning from international duty with New Zealand carrying a hip injury, Wood was forced to miss Forest’s victory against Manchester United and could yet be forced to sit out of his side’s trip to Midlands rivals Aston Villa this weekend.

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Sat as many as six points clear of fifth place Manchester City, those at the City Ground have enough breathing room to ease their star striker back into Espirito Santo’s side, but will be well aware of the quality that they’ll lack without his goalscoring exploits.

The Forest boss decided to remain coy over whether we can expect Wood’s return to come as soon as this weekend against Villa, telling reporters in his pre-match press conference: “We are assessing. It is going to be day by day. Hopefully tomorrow better and he continues to improve.”

Premier League Golden Boot race

Goals

Mohamed Salah

27

Erling Haaland

21

Alexander Isak

20

Chris Wood

18

Bryan Mbuemo

16

In midweek, it was Anthony Elanga who stepped up to score in place of Wood as he ran the length of the pitch before firing home in emphatic fashion against former club Manchester United.

Against a more formidable Aston Villa side, however, replacing the forward’s quality is likely to prove to be a far tougher task and whether Taiwo Awoniyi can rediscover his best form at the perfect time remains to be seen.

The same can be said for whether Nuno decides to risk Wood, especially following the news that he’ll also be without another key man for this weekend and beyond.

Ola Aina in fitness race to play another game for Forest

Joining Wood on the sidelines, Nottingham Forest are now set to be without Ola Aina against Aston Villa this weekend and potentially the rest of the season. The right-back suffered a calf injury against Manchester United last time out, which has since required a scan to potentially rule him out of the business end of the campaign.

Despite concerns that he could miss the rest of the season, Nuno decided to remain positive over Aina’s calf injury – telling reporters: “He has had the scan and he is going to be out for a while. It is a calf problem. He is not going to be available. It is a big blow. We will miss his quality, his talent and the routines we already have with his teammates. We are going to miss him.

“Some players take more time, others less. We will assess him. He will definitely be out for Villa and for Everton he will be a doubt. Beyond that we will assess him. I am positive that we will see him again (before the end of the season).”

Of course, the Nigerian should be desperate to return given that his current £40k-a-week contract is set to expire this summer. Should he fail to recover in time to feature again this season, victory over Manchester United will have been Aina’s final Nottingham Forest game as things stand.

Australia secure Ashes retention as weather thwarts England

England captain proud of team’s attempts to force pace, targets squared series at The Oval

Matt Roller23-Jul-2023

Ben Stokes watches England’s hopes of squaring the series slip away•Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Australia have retained the Ashes after escaping a fourth Test dominated by England with a rain-ruined draw. They will leave Manchester on Monday morning with a 2-1 lead, and have the opportunity to clinch a first series win in England since 2001 at The Oval next week.After only 30 overs of play were possible between showers on Saturday, Australia trailed by 61 runs in their second innings with five wickets remaining heading into the fifth day at Emirates Old Trafford. But persistent showers meant that Sunday’s play was abandoned without a ball bowled, with the draw finally confirmed at 5.24pm.Heavy overnight rain delayed the start on the fifth day at Emirates Old Trafford, and planned inspections were then pushed back by persistent showers which swept across the ground. A start time of 1pm was announced during an early lunch break, but the rain returned almost immediately and then set in for the rest of the afternoon.Related

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England’s players kicked a football around on the outfield, as if to signal their willingness to play, but eventually returned to the dressing room after being drenched. The rain only became heavier, with a substantial volume of standing water on the covers and puddles forming on the outfield.By the time the umpires decided to call play off for the day, the vast majority of the sold-out crowd had gone home – with the Party Stand utterly deserted. Pat Cummins shook hands with Joel Wilson and Nitin Menon, before telling his team-mates that they could celebrate retaining the urn.Heavy rain left standing water on the outfield•AFP/Getty Images

Ben Stokes spoke in the build-up to the Test about the prospect of the weather forecast forcing England to “push the game on even more” than usual and there was not much more they could have done. They scored at 5.49 runs per over in their only innings, and took 15 wickets in 161.2 overs in the field.But the rain – and sluggish over-rates from both teams – limited the Test match to 269 overs, which proved insufficient for a result on either side. This was England’s first draw in the 17 matches they have played since Stokes’ appointment as captain last year, after 12 wins and four defeats.For Australia, the result means that they cannot lose the series despite being on the back foot for the last two Tests. Four years ago, they left Manchester 2-1 up but lost at The Oval, missing the opportunity to win outright; they will be desperate to make amends next week.

'We played really tough cricket' – Tamim pleased as Bangladesh learn to win from tricky situations

“The bowling unit will get incredible confidence,” Tamim said after the win in the third ODI, where Ireland needed 52 in nine overs with seven wickets in hand

Mohammad Isam15-May-2023

Bangladesh won the ODI series against Ireland 2-0 after the first match was rained out•Andrew Miller/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Tamim Iqbal is happy with the “tough cricket” Bangladesh played in their 2-0 ODI series win over Ireland in Chelmsford.After the washout in the first ODI, Bangladesh chased down 320 in a rain-curtailed 45 overs-a-side second ODI and then their bowlers rallied in the last nine overs to keep Ireland at bay in the third match. In both the games, Bangladesh were in the sort of positions they have often been unable to turn around in the past.”I thought throughout the series we played really tough cricket,” Tamim said. “Chasing 320 in 45 overs, regardless of the ground size or opposition, is a hard task. The way we batted was amazing. Today, it is a very special game for me. We have always seen this kind of situation on the other side. We lost from such winning positions especially with the ball.”Related

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Tamim took calls that came good in the turnaround on Sunday. With Ireland needing 52 with seven wickets in hand in the last nine overs, he handed the ball to part-time bowler Najmul Hossain Shanto. The offspinner, who imitates Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s bowling action, had Harry Tector caught at deep midwicket to break the 79-run stand with Lorcan Tucker. Tamim then opted to bowl out Mustafizur Rahman by the 47th over instead of saving him for the end and the left-arm pacer picked up a wicket in each of the 43rd, 45th and 47th overs to finish with a four-for. Ireland were stifled right when it mattered, before Hasan Mahmud bowled a stunning final over to give Bangladesh the win.”The bowling unit will get incredible confidence from this win. It wasn’t easy to defend 274 at this ground. I thought we did a great job,” Tamim said. “Miraz’s bowling inspired me to take a chance with Shanto. He took a wicket in the first over and so I continued with him. The match turned on its head in his three overs and Mustafizur’s overs.”In crucial moments in the series, Shanto and Mahmud, both among the younger players in the line-up, stepped up for Bangladesh. Shanto was adjudged the Player of the Series for his returns of 196 runs, including his first ODI century, and the match-turning wicket in the last game. Mahmud, meanwhile, kept his calm in the last over of the third game with nine to defend, while also bowling incisive opening spells in the series.”[Shanto] has been playing really well in the last two or three series,” Tamim said. “He is scoring quite regularly, which is a great thing for us. We could never nail down the No. 3 position but I think he has cemented his place [by] not just scoring runs but the way he fields, too. He gives his 100% everywhere. He is a great team man.”[Mahmud] has been impressive. He is world-class, particularly with the new ball. He is a very young guy but has an old head. He is calm under pressure. It is a great learning for him. You can bowl thousands of balls in the nets but to deliver under this pressure is something else.”Najmul Hossain Shanto scored his first ODI ton and picked up his first international wicket in the series•Andrew Miller/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

But there is a lot of room for improvement for Bangladesh.”I think we should have batted a bit better, especially in a situation like today’s game,” Tamim said. “We were batting at six [runs] an over in the first 25 overs. We should have scored 310-315. We are playing without one [extra] batter. All of us should have taken a little bit more responsibility.”I am overall happy with this series. We chased 320 successfully. We didn’t defend games like today [in the past] but did it here. There are more positives than negatives.”Tamim felt that Sunday’s win came because of an all-round performance from Bangladesh. The two debutants, Rony Talukdar and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, didn’t have an impactful performance but fielded well. Talukdar was sent to open but struggled for 4 off 14 balls. Chowdhury bowled eight wicketless overs for 64, including a 21-run 37th over that seemed to turn the tide in Ireland’s favour. But they took good catches and pulled off plenty of saves in the deep.”Mrittunjoy didn’t bowl from an easy end,” Tamim said. “An inch here and there in length, it would go for a six. He bowled very well. He knows he can do better. Contributions from everyone made the win possible today. We didn’t think we would win the game. Some brilliance changed the game.”

Pakistan fast bowlers' workload in focus after Naseem, Rauf named in ODI squad

Interim chief selector Shahid Afridi admits it’s “impossible” for seamers to play all formats consistently

Danyal Rasool05-Jan-20231:02

Tait – Management of fast bowlers will be critical this year

Pakistan’s interim chief selector Shahid Afridi said it was “impossible” for fast bowlers to play all three formats consistently. Speaking in Karachi following the announcement of the Pakistan’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, Afridi emphasised the value of rest for fast bowlers, and the need to manage formats.”You need to keep two bowlers whose priority is Test cricket,” Afridi said. “We’ve selected 5 fast bowlers [in the ODI squad] to allow other fast bowlers to rest. It’s not possible to continuously play all three formats for years on end. The pitches are such that even if the spinners are bowling 60-70 overs, they’ll burn themselves out.”Pakistan’s management of their fast bowlers has come under increased scrutiny this season. Shaheen Shah Afridi has been unable to play any Test cricket following an injury he picked up during the T20 World Cup final, while Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf picked up niggles that kept them out of the bulk of the series against England and New Zealand. Naseem has return for the ongoing Test against New Zealand, and has been, by some distance, Pakistan’s best fast bowler over the two innings.Related

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But questions around how seriously Pakistan take the welfare of the fast bowlers will invariably be raised after both fast bowlers were named in the squad for the New Zealand ODIs next week. It suggests conversations around workload management haven’t yet translated into the sort of rest pace bowlers – particularly those boasting high pace – get in other parts of the world. The selection of multiple fast bowlers means Pakistan do have the option of rotating, though with an ODI World Cup at ethe end of this year, it is not inconceivable Naseem and Rauf end up playing all three matches.There wasn’t much of an element of easing Naseem back into the Test side, with the 19-year-old fast bowler bearing the brunt of the fast bowling responsibilities in each innings. In the first, he would send down 24 overs, more than either Mir Hamza or Hasan Ali, while the 13 he bowled the second time around were the highest among his seam-bowling compatriots.New Zealand still have a full day’s worth of bowling left, but for now, Naseem’s 37 overs across the Test means one of the game’s fastest seam bowler, coming back from a shoulder injury, has bowled the most overs. Since July 2022, he has bowled 1241 deliveries across formats. That is the second-most balls bowled by a fast bowler after Mitchell Starc. For someone as young as he is, and as fast as he is, it is a considerable load to put his body through.Mohammad Wasim and Rauf are also among the top 20, so understandably, it’s an issue that has piqued the concern of Pakistan fast bowling coach Shaun Tait, too. “I don’t think playing all three formats consistently can happen,” he said after the fourth day’s play. “There’s too much cricket. We’re aware of that. It’s going to be an important year for Pakistan with a couple of big tournaments towards the end of the year, so management of the fast bowlers is going to be critical.”

'We’re going for it all' – Antonio Mohamed leads Toluca to Liga MX final, with club one step away from capturing 11th league title

With a brace from Alexis Vega and a goal by Edgar López, Toluca secured a 3-0 victory over Tigres at the Estadio Nemesio Diez

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  • Mohamed led fourth different team to the Liga MX Final
  • Toluca hasn’t won Liga MX title since 2010
  • They’ll face the winner of América vs. Cruz Azul
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    Antonio "Turco" Mohamed has once again proven why he’s considered one of the most accomplished managers in Liga MX. With Toluca’s triumph over Tigres in the Clausura 2025 semifinals, the Argentine tactician has now led a fourth different team to the Liga MX Final – a feat few coaches can claim.

    "We’re going for everything," Mohamed said after the win. "I’m not going to say publicly who I’d prefer to face. I know who, but I’ll keep it to myself. This isn't about revenge. Pumas was a personal matter – this is something else. I’m enjoying the moment, especially with my son beside me, which is a huge bonus. We’re going for it all. Hopefully next Sunday, we’ll be sitting here with the trophy. That’s our dream. It won’t be easy; both teams are very strong. We’ll give it everything we’ve got.”

    With a brace from Alexis Vega and a goal by Edgar López, Toluca secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Tigres at the Estadio Nemesio Diez, sealing their place in the final with a convincing 4-1 aggregate score. Toluca will play the winner of the other seminfinal, América or Cruz Azul, for the title.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The Red Devils are now one step away from capturing their 11th Liga MX title, a prize that has eluded them since the Bicentenario 2010 tournament. That last championship came under the guidance of José Manuel de la Torre, when Toluca edged out Santos Laguna in a dramatic penalty shootout following a tied aggregate score.

    Since then, the storied club from the State of Mexico has remained competitive, but silverware has been just out of reach – until now. With Mohamed at the helm, the Diablos Rojos have found renewed identity and purpose, finishing the Clausura 2025 regular season as league leaders and securing home field advantage for the decisive leg of the final at the iconic Estadio Nemesio Diez.

    This latest run to the final marks Mohamed’s sixth appearance in a Liga MX championship series. He previously reached finals with Club América, Monterrey (three times) and Tijuana. His track record includes titles and deep postseason runs, making him one of the most decorated and consistent managers in recent Mexican football.

    Despite the magnitude of the victory over Tigres – one of the most dominant sides of the past decade – Mohamed remained respectful and measured in his comments.

    "Out of respect for the opponent, I won’t say much," he said. "Guido [Pizarro] is a friend. We were the better team across both legs. We earned this result against a club that has been arguably the strongest in recent years. Our goal was to make the final, and now we’re here."

    Looking ahead, Mohamed emphasized the importance of a strong first leg: "We need to play well in the first match. The atmosphere here is amazing – we enjoy playing in this stadium, we know the pitch. It’s a final – there are no favorites."

  • Getty Images Sport

    WHAT GUIDO PIZARRO SAID

    Following Tigres’ elimination, coach Guido Pizarro reflected on the team’s struggles, particularly in away matches. He pointed to the lack of goals as a critical issue.

    "It’s something we can’t allow to happen," he said. "We need to analyze, reflect on what’s ahead – there are definitely things we need to improve. But yes, without a doubt, the lack of goals is something we have to address."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR TOLUCA?

    As they wait to see whether their opponent will be América or Cruz Azul – who face off in the other semifinal -Toluca is preparing for a final that promises intensity and history.

    The first leg will be played either at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes (América’s temporary home) or the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, where Cruz Azul is hosting games this season.

Alan Thomson, who took the first wicket in ODI history, dies aged 76

The Victoria quick, who bowled off the wrong foot, played four Tests and ended his career with 184 first-class wickets in 44 matches

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2022Alan Thomson, the former Australia and Victoria fast bowler who took the first wicket in ODI history, has died aged 76.Thomson, who bowled with an unusual action where he delivered off the wrong foot, played four Tests in the elongated 1970-71 seven-Test Ashes series. He played in the first two Tests of that series in Brisbane and Perth, but was not selected to play in the New Year’s Test in Melbourne, which was abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain. He would go on to play the fifth and sixth Tests of the series but, before that, he made a bit of history.As a result of all the bad weather cutting into the Melbourne Test, Australia and England played the world’s first ODI on January 5, at the MCG, and Thomson took the first wicket of the match, when he removed Geoff Boycott, who miscued a pull shot to Bill Lawry at square leg. He took 1 for 22 from his eight overs in the 40-over match that Australia won.Thomson rose to prominence in Victoria in the late 1960s with his unusual action confounding batters in the Sheffield Shield as well as when he played touring international sides. In January 1969, he took 11 wickets for Victoria against the West Indies Test side.He was a key figure in Victoria’s 1969-70 Shield triumph and toured New Zealand with an Australia B side at the end of that summer alongside Greg Chappell and Dennis Lillee. Thomson, Chappell and Lillee would all make their Test debuts the following summer against England. Thomson earned his Test cap after taking 9 for 181, including 6 for 80, for Victoria in a win over England in the lead-up to the first Test.Thomson, known as “Froggy”, finished with 184 first-class wickets in 44 matches. He worked as a primary-school teacher during his first-class and brief international career, and was also a field umpire in the Victorian Football League.

Renshaw digs in as Queensland grind into strong position

Matt Renshaw dropped anchor with a statement innings for Queensland as New South Wales’ bowlers toiled on day two of their Sheffield Shield clash.The former Test opener reminded selectors of the patience and shot selection that rocketed the teenager into the Test frame in late 2016, batting through the day to be unbeaten on 86 off 276 balls at stumps.Renshaw, now 26, has been returned to the top of the order by captain Usman Khawaja, who is batting four for Queensland despite his own incumbency as Australia’s Test opener.Related

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Since losing his Test spot Renshaw has expanded his strokeplay, finding success in the middle-order after Khawaja had replaced him in a juggle designed to rekindle his own international prospects.The left-handed Renshaw played within himself all day, leaving well and leaning on anything too straight in an innings reflective of the type that first fired him into the Test arena.Wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson was energetic in the final hour in backing up his season-opening century.Khawaja was in excellent touch before a loose sweep off Nathan Lyon ended his innings early in the final session.Renshaw was perhaps lucky to survive the day, with the umpire’s benefit of the doubt saving him after replays suggested he should have been run-out at the bowler’s end by a firm Peirson straight drive.Sean Abbott had taken the scalps of Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne – the latter with a fine yorker – before lunch to give NSW a sniff. But there was little on offer beyond that.”It’s hard work for the bowlers,” Lyon said of the conditions. “[I’m] trying to think a bit more on my feet, but it’s challenging.”Joking that Thursday’s advice would be to bring a set of cards to serve them during likely rain delays, Lyon did save some praise for Renshaw.”His best position is up the top of the order, that’s just my opinion,” he said.  “It’s good to see him back up there and a good step forward for Matt.”Khawaja said he was happy with the day’s efforts considering the scoring difficulties.”You can’t get ahead of yourself; if you force it that’s when you get out,” he said I felt good, felt really good last week, and disappointed not to get more. It’s a tough grind, [Renshaw] played with discipline and played some beautiful shots.”

Newcastle now looking to seal £16m signing of "fantastic" ace within days

Newcastle United are reportedly looking to complete the £16m signing of a “truly fantastic” player in the coming days, as Eddie Howe eyes reinforcements.

Newcastle transfer news

Centre-back is an area of the pitch where new signings are needed for the Magpies, considering there are some ageing figures there, including Fabian Schar and Dan Burn. Barcelona defender Eric Garcia has been linked with a move to St James’ Park, possessing Premier League experience from his Manchester City days.

Sao Paulo teenager William Gomes has also emerged as a rumoured target for Newcastle, with the 18-year-old capable of thriving as both a midfielder and a winger. He is a two-cap Brazil Under-17s international, and could have a massive future in the game.

Sao Paulo'sWilliamGomescelebrates with team mates after scoring their first goal

Another exciting young player, Tyler Dibling, has also been linked with the Magpies, having enjoyed a breakthrough season in a struggling Southampton side. The Englishman has scored twice in the Premier League in 2024/25 to date, proving to be one of the few bright sparks for Saints.

In terms of attacking additions, Baris Alper Yilmaz is a reported target for Newcastle, with the 24-year-old a key winger for both Turkey and Galatasaray. With Miguel Almiron likely to leave St James’ this month, a replacement will be required out wide.

Newcastle looking to sign "truly fantastic" ace

According to Milliyet [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are pushing to sign Besiktas attacker Semih Kilicsoy in the coming days, with the Magpies willing to pay up to £16m.

Better than Diomande: Newcastle offered chance to sign £96k-p/w "monster"

Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign Barcelona defender

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It isn’t yet known if new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees a future for the 19-year-old at the Turkish giants, and the Magpies could be looking to swoop in before the current transfer window reaches its conclusion.

At just 19 years of age, Kilicsoy wouldn’t arrive at Newcastle as an immediate key man, but he is a young player with a high ceiling, so the idea of him joining is exciting.

The winger has been described as “truly fantastic” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and the fact that he already has 23 goal contributions in 67 appearances for Besiktas speaks volumes about the strides he has made in his career.

Appearances

7

Starts

3

Minutes played

367

Goals

1

Assists

1

Shots per game

1.9

Dribbles per game

1.1

Key passes per game

0.7

The teenager also has four caps to his name for Turkey, with that tally surely only growing significantly in the coming years, and while a left winger by trade, he can also shine on the right flank and in a central role.

Root bats for Stokes on and off field after 'powerful' documentary revelations

Former captain says team-mates will rally around in support of current Test leader

Vithushan Ehantharajah23-Aug-2022On Monday evening, members of the England men’s Test squad taking part in the ongoing series with South Africa – and a handful of others – filed into the Ham Yard Hotel in central London for the premiere of .On the face of it, there’s nothing particularly unusual there. The perks of being an English Test cricketer is being invited to these VIP events, and any distraction from the innings-and-12-run defeat to the Proteas in the opener at Lord’s is more than welcome. And attendance to show support for a team-mate’s endeavour, particularly one so raw and confronting about a world they know all too well, is a given for a group who have grown close after starting the season with four emphatic wins.However, as England trained on Tuesday afternoon at Emirates Old Trafford, ahead of the second Test, which begins on Thursday, there was an unshakeable sense the players knew their talismanic captain a lot better. Maybe not with regards to persona or humour, or wonts and desires. But of why he is who he is, how he has come to be who he is. And, fundamentally, how the fact he is their leader and one of the best cricketers this county has produced is as much because of and despite circumstance.Related

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Players left the theatre struck by being presented with the red-eyes and cold trauma of a man coach Brendon McCullum jokes is often regarded by those around him as “bionic”. Some of those present who contributed to the film as a talking head knew the framing of the movie but were still affected by seeing a mate come forward about their anxieties on the big screen. Conversations in private brought into the brightest lights.One of those was Joe Root, a close personal friend, who has had first-hand experience of much of what Stokes discusses. Root had not seen anything but the trailer until Monday night, and admitted to trepidation when he walked into the theatre because he feared he would have played the same old notes in his contribution: “Classic, ‘I love batting; I love Ben again’ from me.”Despite his humility, there is a lot more from the former captain than that. And of all the reviews published so far, perhaps the most important ahead of Friday’s release comes from Root. He believes absolutely that the film will have enhanced Stokes’ status amongst the group and thus inspire a dressing room to come good for him.”I think it’s very powerful what he’s done, to be honest,” Root said. “To share his journey and his story and everything that he’s had to go through. Not just with us as team but the rest of the world. I think it’s quite a powerful thing and, you know, I can’t see how it won’t better the environment that we’re playing in. And it takes great courage and shows great leadership actually, that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes, and to ask for help and go and do what he’s done. So it can only be a good thing.”When you see everything that he’s dealt with and put it all together and think that’s only in a four- or five-year period – wow. You can forget that. Everything that’s engulfed that period of time and weighed upon him throughout that journey, and I think it’s quite remarkable actually that he is where he is now having been through all that.”Root admitted there were topics even he wasn’t aware of. Though he expected there would be some stuff Stokes kept to himself, even if the pair are thick as thieves. “You know Ben – he has not always found it easy to tell everyone where he’s at, how he’s feeling,” Root said.Joe Root made 8 and 6 in England’s defeat at Lord’s•AFP/Getty ImagesIt will be fascinating to see how Root is with Stokes going forward in a professional capacity. So far he has focused on scoring runs, with 583 at 83.28 and three centuries across five Tests this summer, though a blip of 8 and 6 at Lord’s coincided with the first defeat under Stokes and new head coach Brendon McCullum. It was put to Root that over the last two years, if he does not make one fifty in the Test, England lose. Typically, he lays that on himself: “Well, it’s your job, to score runs, as a batter. It’s something you pride yourself on, you want to contribute to wins. That’s part and parcel of it. The better you get the more expectation there is.”But after watching the documentary, he might wonder how captaincy may exacerbate some of the issues Stokes has raised. Because no one knows better than Root just how the role can grind you down. The troughs across his five years in charge were such that acknowledgement of his undoubted quality as one of the best batters – if not the best Test batter – this country has produced was dwarfed by criticism of his captaincy.By the end, the barbs and pressure, particularly off the back of a second demoralising Ashes defeat and then a loss in the Caribbean, had started to rob him and loved ones of his true self. “I had loved leading my country,” he said in his exit statement. “But recently it’s hit home how much of a toll it has taken on me and the impact it has had on me away from the game.”No one will be more aware of those signs than Root. And it might be that while Stokes takes it upon himself to captain by sympathy to his players and encourage them to show their best selves while at times sacrificing himself, the former skipper must bring the empathy to ensure his friend has all the necessary support in one of the most challenging jobs.”I think it’s just a great example to everyone that regardless of what may be perceived on the outside everyone has those vulnerabilities and can get themselves into a very difficult place. To come from there you do need help and support from others. It’s a great wake-up call. You’ve got to make sure the guys around you [are okay] and do what you can to reach out when the time’s right or if you see something.”I love batting and I love Ben. I’ve said it enough times! I want to try to help us win as many games as possible and score as many runs as I can. It’s very easy for me. I don’t play cricket to be the best captain or score the most runs, I play to win games and enjoy that with the lads I play with.”

Após 'apagão', Corinthians volta a se manifestar nas redes sociais: 'Objetivo foi conscientizar'

MatériaMais Notícias

Às 10h19 desta segunda-feira (25), o Corinthians voltou a postar nas suas redes sociais, após 72 horas de ausência.

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> GALERIA – Veja todos os técnicos estrangeiros do Timão
> TABELA – Confira e simule todos os jogos da Libertadores

A ação iniciou às 10h da última sexta-feira (22), e fez parte da campanha ‘Futebol sem Ódio’, que contou, inclusive, com a ausência de todas as ações de comunicação que o clube costuma ter, como divulgação de notas de treino, lista de relacionados, atendimento à imprensa via assessoria e até mesmo entrevista coletiva do técnico Vítor Pereira e zona mista com os jogadores após o Dérbi deste fim de semana.

Como o Timão foi derrotado por 3 a 0 para o Palmeiras, no último sábado (23), na Arena Barueri, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, o ‘apagão’ de comunicação foi criticado por muitos torcedores que gostariam de ouvir as explicações do treinador e atletas após o revés no clássico.

O clube, por sua vez, em sua volta à comunicação, reforçou os motivos que o levaram a ‘desligar os seus meios de comunicação’ mesmo em um fim de semana de clássico, em uma mensagem para toda a comunidade do futebol.

– Entendemos claramente a frustração que nosso silêncio causou a muitos torcedores. Entretanto, nosso objetivo foi conscientizar e provocar o debate exatamente por meio desse silêncio. NÃO É um tema só do Corinthians: é de todos os clubes e todas torcidas. É da imprensa, que também é vítima constante da intimidação. É das plataformas de redes sociais. No mundo todo se discute como diminuir o abuso e o grande risco de uma tragédia anunciada no futebol – disse parte do comunicado, que pode ser conferido na íntegra ao fim da nota.

Com o retorno da comunicação, o Corinthians voltara à normalidade as suas ações, inclusive com entrevista coletiva do presidente Duílio Monteiro Alves prevista para às 14h, desta segunda-feira (25).

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