Several IPL captains agreed that the saliva ban was hurting bowlers especially in not facilitating reverse swing

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Mar-20253:54

Southee on usage of saliva: ‘Think there needs to be something in the bowlers’ favour’

Bowlers will be allowed to apply saliva on the ball in IPL 2025. The decision was taken by IPL after majority of the franchise captains voiced for the change at a meeting with the decision-makers of the tournament at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday.ESPNcricinfo has learned that several captains agreed that the saliva ban, which was adopted by ICC and followed by the member boards across all levels of cricket, was hurting the bowlers especially in not facilitating reverse swing, which has become rare in white-ball cricket, including ODIs where two new balls are used.Gujarat Titans (GT) fast bowler Mohammed Siraj concurred with the captains.”It’s very good for bowlers. It’s excellent news for us bowlers because when the ball is not doing anything, applying saliva on the ball will increase the chances of finding some reverse swing,” Siraj told . “It sometimes aids reverse swing because scrubbing the ball against the shirt will not help (to get reverse swing). But using saliva on the ball will help in maintaining (the shine on one side), and it is important.”The ban on using saliva to polish the ball was first put in place in May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, as a temporary measure. In September 2022, the ICC made the ban permanent. With bowlers allowed to use sweat to shine the ball, there had been calls from leading voices in the game to allow the use of an artificial substance in place of saliva back then. Jasprit Bumrah had said at the time that there should be “some alternative for the bowlers to maintain the ball”.Related

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Recently, India fast bowler Mohammed Shami urged the ICC to rescind the ban on using saliva to shine the ball. “We are trying [to get reverse swing], but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed,” Shami had told reporters after India’s win over Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final. “We keep appealing that we should be allowed to use saliva so that we can bring reverse swing back into the game and it becomes interesting.”He had also got the backing of two former international bowlers in Vernon Philander and Tim Southee.”That was a rule brought around Covid with the virus going around the world, but I think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage,” Southee said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day. “We see the game going the way it’s going and seeing sides score 362 and more often than not over 300 in this format. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers’ favour, and whether that’s a little bit of saliva, then yeah, I don’t see why they couldn’t afford to get that back in.”

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Orange Cap leaderboard

Four batters have now scored runs in excess of 200 but Nicholas Pooran of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is still going strong at the top. His 288 runs from five innings, including three half-centuries, has ensured he remains No. 1.Moving up rapidly after his best score of this IPL is B Sai Sudharsan. His Player-of-the-Match knock of 82 off 53 balls, his third half-century of the season, propelled GT to 217 for 6, which proved too much for RR. He has been having a dream IPL so far, having accumulated 273 in five innings.Not far behind is Pooran’s team-mate at LSG, Mitchell Marsh. His entertaining 81 off 48 balls played a crucial role in LSG registering their third win of this season, this one against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). With four fifties in five innings, Marsh has 265 runs.GT’s Jos Buttler, who hit 36 on Wednesday to take his tally to 203, is the other 200-plus batter at the moment, with Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians (MI) in fifth spot with 199 runs.R Sai Kishore has ten wickets from five games•BCCI

Purple Cap leaderboardChennai Super Kings (CSK) left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad still holds the Purple Cap with 11 wickets from five games. But other bowlers are also putting up strong performances to provide stiff competition.Joining MI captain Hardik Pandya and CSK’s Khaleel Ahmed for joint-second are GT bowlers Mohammed Siraj and R Sai Kishore. While Sai Kishore picked up 2 for 20 in Ahmedabad, Siraj added one wicket on the night. All of them have ten wickets to their names. Out of these bowlers, only Hardik has played four innings, one fewer than the rest, and has retained his position at No. 2 while Sai Kishore with his economy rate of 7.25 goes up to third position. Siraj and Khaleel are fourth and fifth in the list with economy rate of 7.70 and 8.25, respectively.Mitchell Starc, and Shardul Thakur have nine wickets each.

Manchester United have received a shock update on Gareth Southgate’s plans as Ruben Amorim continues to see questions asked of how much longer he will remain in charge at Old Trafford. Change is being mooted as the Red Devils struggle to establish any kind of momentum and consistency. It has been suggested that former England manager Southgate will be in contention if a prominent Premier League managerial post opens up.

• Movement at Old Trafford: Amorim pressure & Southgate links

  Southgate was linked with United during Erik ten Hag’s troubled reign in Manchester. With the Dutch tactician fighting to save his job in March 2024, there was plenty of speculation to be found regarding supposed interest in a man that remained in international football at that point. Southgate is said to have made it clear that he would not be leaving a role with England ahead of Euro 2024.

  He did, however, sever ties with the Three Lions after guiding them to another European Championship final. Ten Hag remained in charge of United at that stage, having overseen FA Cup and Carabao Cup triumphs during his two full seasons at the helm, but he was ushered through the exits at Old Trafford in October 2024. Reins were then passed on to highly-rated Portuguese coach Amorim.

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  Southgate's stance: Response to talk of managerial return

  He has endured a tough time in English football, picking up just 18 wins from 49 games in charge of United. The Red Devils are without European action this season, while a humbling League Cup defeat was suffered early in the 2025-26 campaign at the hands of League Two side Grimsby. Sack calls are growing in intensity once more as United consider more movement in their dugout.

  According to , “Southgate would reject an approach from Manchester United” if Amorim were to be relieved of his duties. It is said that Southgate is “not in any rush to return to football”. He is, however, “keeping his options open – both within the game and outside”. The 55-year-old, who is now a knight of the realm, has agreed to host a new show for the BBC while filling most of his time with speaking engagements and motivational work.

• Man Utd given 'perfect' Southgate advice

  Southgate continues to attend plenty of prominent football fixtures, particularly in the Premier League, so has an eye across what is going on. He is close friends with Dan Ashworth, who is said to have been keen to bring the former Three Lions boss in alongside him at Old Trafford before seeing a forgettable stint as United’s sporting director cut short after just five months.

  The Red Devils are being urged to keep Southgate in mind, with Premier League title-winning ex-England star Joe Cole having said of the former Middlesbrough boss returning to club management: “He [Amorim] was the bright young spark, people were talking about him like he was the messiah coming into Manchester United and would sort everything out. That’s how high his stock was when he left Lisbon.

  “So, he’s clearly a good manager as well, but the mix and the blend of the whole situation, I think it needs a culture change. I thought Gareth Southgate was the perfect man for the job at the state it was in terms of building culture, understanding the club, understanding the league, understanding the players, working with Jim Ratcliffe and people like that, and they went with Amorim, and it doesn’t look like it’s working.”

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  Safe for now: Latest on Amorim's future

  The latest reports claim that Amorim retains the full support of his board for now. His position is not considered to be under imminent threat, despite positive results proving hard to come by. It is, however, apparent that a reversal in fortune is required in order for United to build towards what they hope will be a brighter future.

  Talk of direct contact being made with Southgate has been played down, with it revealed that sacking Amorim would cost United around £15 million ($20m), but debate regarding who could be next to fill the most demanding of roles in Manchester continues to rage.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin is under plenty of external pressure after a difficult start to his time in the dugout at Ibrox this season, with some noticeable booing and chanting at recent games.

The former Southampton boss has failed to win any of his four Scottish Premiership matches in charge of the Light Blues so far, and failed to qualify for the league phase of the Champions League, losing 9-1 to Club Brugge on aggregate.

There is still plenty of time left to see how things pan out, though, because he had 12 summer signings and it will take time to assess whether they were strong additions or not.

Summer transfer windows can make or break managers, as former Rangers head coach Michael Beale found out in the harshest way in 2023.

Michael Beale's worst Rangers deals

Beale signed eight players on permanent deals in the summer of 2023. Jack Butland is the only one of those eight players who started the club’s most recent game against Celtic.

Danilo was signed for £6m from Feyenoord and he has only scored nine goals in 39 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, missing 53 matches through injury in that time, per Transfermarkt.

Sam Lammers arrived from Atalanta for a fee of £3m in the same window. He scored two goals in 31 games for Rangers, per Transfermarkt, before being sold to FC Twente last year.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

As well as making poor signings, Beale also allowed several quality players to leave the club that summer, including electric forward Ryan Kent.

Michael Beale had a howler with Ryan Kent

Despite working with the English winger as Steven Gerrard’s assistant in the past, Beale was unable to get the best out of the former Liverpool man at Ibrox as the head coach.

Kent played 22 times for the English tactician in all competitions in his last season in Glasgow, but only found the back of the net twice in that time, per Transfermarkt.

The left winger was once described as the “Mbappe of Scottish football” by Specs Gonzalez, whilst speaking on Sky Sports, but he was anything but Mbappe-esque under Beale.

Appearances

22

196

Goals

2

31

Games per goal

11

6.32

Assists

4

52

Games per assist

5.5

3.76

As you can see in the table above, Kent was far more prolific and creative throughout his Rangers career without Beale as his head coach, his output with and without him makes that very clear.

IbroxNoise noted at the time that the English forward’s decline under the former assistant manager was because the system being deployed meant that he had to play as a number ten rather than as a winger.

If asked to picture a Ryan Kent goal or assist for Rangers, most supporters would likely picture him on the left flank, cutting in or getting to the byline. The former being what happened in the clip above.

Beale’s wingerless system did him no favours and that was why it was not a surprise when the forward decided to let his contract run down in the summer of 2023, rather than committing his future to the club with his former Liverpool academy coach in charge.

This meant that Rangers lost Kent, a player once compared to Mbappe, for nothing that summer because their manager did not play a system that got the best out of him.

Instead, Beale played a system that attempted to accomodate the three central players he signed, Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, and Lammers. Only one of those three players remains at Ibrox, Danilo, and he looks set to be a back-up to Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti this season.

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Therefore, Beale had a howler with Kent because he did not find a way to get the best out of a player who could have been a huge threat for his side down the left flank, given his return of goals and assists in his career at Rangers prior to the manager’s appointment.

Crystal Palace are ready to embark on an adventure in the Europa Conference League and have now made an approach to bring another talented defender to Selhurst Park with Jaydee Canvot.

Crystal Palace set to sign Toulouse defender Jaydee Canvot

After qualifying for the Europa Conference League, Crystal Palace are set to sign Canvot from Toulouse and only the final documents remain before he will officially be unveiled.

Revealing the news on social media platform X, Fabrizio Romano stated: “Crystal Palace agree deal to sign French centre back Jaydee Canvot after exclusive story revealed last week. CPFC finalising documents exchange with Toulouse. Here we go.”

Seeking to bolster further up the pitch, Crystal Palace could also look to strike a deal for Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson before the window closes after capturing Yeremy Pino from Villarreal.

Coming in to replace Eze, Pino said on their website: “I’m very happy to be here. It is a dream of mine to come to the Premier League, to a historic club like Crystal Palace, and I hope that I can help the team.”

Of course, speculation over Marc Guehi and a proposed move to Liverpool refuses to die down, and it remains to be seen whether anything will advance after the Eagles booked their place in the Conference League league phase after defeating Fredrikstad FK.

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AZ Alkmaar, Dynamo Kiev, KUPS, Strasbourg, Aek Larnaca and Shelbourne await in the competition proper, offering a realistic chance of progression for the South London club as they aim to make inroads continentally.

With that in mind, Crystal Palace have made an approach for a reputable defender who could arrive on loan before the window closes, per recent reports.

Crystal Palace make late approach for Mohammed Salisu

According to Ed Aarons on X, Crystal Palace have made a loan approach to sign AS Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu to bolster their pool of options in defence.

With their pursuit of Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji still ongoing amid interest from Galatasaray and Bayer Leverkusen, it appears that the Eagles have moved the dial towards other players who could enrich their backline.

Labelled “phenomenal” by Danny Murphy, Salisu scored three times in 24 appearances across all competitions last season and won 66 duels in Ligue 1, per Fotmob.

Formerly of Southampton, the 19-cap Ghana international would arrive with Premier League experience under his belt and offers stability should Guehi leave before next Monday’s deadline.

Seemingly part of a moving sequence of events, it will be intriguing to see if their pursuit of Akanji is now abandoned, given Canvot is set to sign on at Selhurst Park.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Grêmio entra em campo na noite da próxima quarta-feira para encarar o Flamengo na Copa do Brasil e o grande assunto é Luís Suárez.

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O centroavante quer deixar o Tricolor e o futuro que mexe com o seu coração é o Inter Miami-EUA.

Treino 

Através das redes sociais, o Grêmio divulgou as imagens do último treino, mas não deu indícios se Suárez vai a campo.

Agora, fica a expectativa para que o Tricolor divulgue a lista dos relacionados para o jogo, que será na quarta-feira pela manhã.

Ausência 

No último fim de semana, o uruguaio ficou de fora contra o Atlético-MG e Renato Gaúcho afirmou que iria esperar Suárez decidir se gostaria de jogar diante do Flamengo.

يستعد فريق مانشستر سيتي لخوض مباراته مساء يوم الثلاثاء في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26، وذلك ضد نظيره فريق فياريال، على ملعب الأخير.

ويستضيف ملعب “لا سيراميكا” مباراة فريقي مانشستر سيتي وفياريال، في الجولة الثالثة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري.

ويمتلك مانشستر سيتي 4 نقاط في الوقت الحالي، حيث فاز في الجولة الأولى على نابولي بهدفين دون رد، بينما سقط في فخ التعادل مع موناكو بهدفين لمثليهما.

وشهدت قائمة مانشستر سيتي المستدعاة لخوض مباراة فياريال مساء اليوم وجود النجم المصري عمر مرموش بعدما تعافى مؤخرًا من الإصابة. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي المتوقع أمام فياريال اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: جيانلويجي دوناروما.

خط الدفاع: ماتيوس نونيز، جون ستونز، جفارديول، نيكو أوريلي.

خط الوسط: نيكو جونزاليس، أوسكار بوب.

خط الوسط الهجومي: برناردو سيلفا، فيل فودين، جيريمي دوكو.

خط الهجوم: إيرلينج هالاند.

ويمكنكم متابعة مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة على مركز المباريات من هنا.

Barcelona have made Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez their top target for the 2026 summer window. He has been identified as the replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who could leave the club in 2026, creating financial room for Barcelona to sign Alvarez. The Argentine has admired the club since childhood, inspired by his Argentina teammate and idol Lionel Messi.

• Barcelona's interest in Alvarez and his release clause

  According to Spanish outlet , Alvarez has a €500 million (£436m/$587m) release clause and is under contract with Atletico until 2030. Barcelona expect Atletico to use that clause as leverage and are unlikely to negotiate for less than €200m (£174m/$234m).

  However, Barcelona believe personal terms will not be an issue, as Alvarez is a lifelong fan of the club, inspired by his Argentina teammate Lionel Messi. The forward has been identified as the successor to Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, whose potential departure could ease Barcelona’s financial situation and allow them to pursue Alvarez without breaking La Liga's spending rules.

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  Alvarez's electric start and spat with Simeone

  Alvarez has enjoyed a strong start to the season, scoring six goals and providing one assist in seven games, including a brace against Real Madrid in the derby last week. Some controversy arose when he appeared frustrated after being substituted by Atletico manager Diego Simeone in a match against Mallorca. However, Alvarez has since dismissed any talk of a rift, insisting that everything is fine between him and the coach.

• Barcelona's alternate options

  With presidential elections approaching, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is seeking a high-profile signing to lift the morale of the fans. While Alvarez remains the top target, another option under consideration is Manchester City’s Erling Haaland. Meanwhile, coach Hansi Flick is said to fancy Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy as a potential alternative.

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  Barcelona and Alvarez' challenges up ahead

  Barcelona are set to host defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Alvarez and Atletico Madrid will aim to return to winning ways in the competition when they face Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday.

He appeared for Rupganj Tigers Cricket Club in their Dhaka Premier Division League match against Gazi Group Cricketers in Mirpur on Monday.

Mohammad Isam07-Apr-2025Bangladesh allrounder Nasir Hossain, who was banned by the ICC for two years for breaching the Emirates Cricket Board’s anti-corruption code during the Abu Dhabi T10 league in 2020-21, has resumed playing competitive cricket.Nasir appeared for Rupganj Tigers Cricket Club in their Dhaka Premier Division League match against Gazi Group Cricketers in Mirpur on Monday.”As per the terms of the sanction, Nasir Hossain has now fulfilled all requirements, including completing the mandatory anti-corruption education session,” the BCB said in a release. “This has paved the way for his eligibility to re-enter official cricket as of April 7, 2025.”Related

Nasir Hossain banned for two years

Bangladesh allrounder Nasir Hossain faces corruption charges

Nasir was one of eight people associated with the Pune Devils franchise who were charged by the ICC in September 2023. Of his two-year ban, six months were suspended.The first charge against Nasir was that he “failed to disclose to the designated anti-corruption official (without unnecessary delay) the receipt of a gift that was offered to him that had a value of over US$750, namely the gift of a new iPhone 12”.The second charge was that he “failed to disclose to the designated anti-corruption official full details of the approach or invitation he received to engage in corrupt conduct via the new iPhone 12”.Nasir also “failed or refused, without compelling justification, to cooperate with the designated anti-corruption official’s investigation”. He had accepted all three charges.Nasir played 19 Tests, 65 ODIs and 31 T20Is for Bangladesh from 2011 to 2018. Before Monday, his last competitive game was in May 2023, for Prime Bank Cricket Club in a List A fixture against Gazi Group Cricketers.

عزز فريق مانشستر يونايتد تقدمه أمام ليفربول، بهدف ثانٍ، خلال مباراة الفريقين ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”، التي تقام مساء اليوم الأحد.

ويستقبل ليفربول خصمه مانشستر يونايتد على ملعب “آنفيلد”، ضمن مباريات الجولة الثامنة للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وأحرز هاري ماجواير الهدف الثاني لصالح مانشستر يونايتد في شباك ليفربول، في الدقيقة 84 من عمر المباراة.

اقرأ أيضًا | رابطة البريميرليج توضح سبب عدم إيقاف الحكم مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد قبل هدف مبيومو

الهدف جاء بعد عرضية من برونو فيرنانديز داخل منطقة الجزاء، وصلت لماجواير الذي لعب رأسية قوية على يمين الحارس لتسكن الشباك.

هاري ماغواير يضيف الهدف الثاني لمانشستر يونايتد#الدوري_الإنجليزي_الممتاز | #ليفربل_مانشستر_يونايتد pic.twitter.com/0PBdXovOEh — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) October 19, 2025

وكان مانشستر يونايتد تقدم بهدف عن طريق مبيومو في الدقيقة الثانية من المباراة، ثم تعادل ليفربول في الدقيقة 78 عن طريق كودي جاكبو.