Arsenal want Ghanaian rising star Ibrahim Osman in January transfer window

After watching the development of the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Sako, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba, Mikel Arteta is reportedly looking at signing another young talent for Arsenal.

Arsenal plotting interesting new signing

Just five days ago it was reported that Arteta is happy with Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus sharing the goals, amid rumours of a potential striker being signed in the January transfer window.

But, defeat at the hands of Fulham may just force his hand slightly, as the Gunners now cannot afford too many more slip-ups if they are to keep pace with the likes of Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City, prompting more links to Ivan Toney.

Arsenal can make "devastating" £52m signing to finally ditch Nketiah

Arsenal are in desperate need of some firepower heading into the January transfer window.

ByMatt Dawson Jan 1, 2024

A 20 goal-a-season player is something that every successful side needs – just look at Erling Haaland at Manchester City, Mohamed Salah at Liverpool and Harry Kane at Bayern Munich. This is something that let Arsenal down last season and is currently holding them back slightly in the current campaign, as Nketiah and Jesus only managed a combined 20 goals in the 2022-2023 campaign, with just 13 goals in 47 appearances so far this season too (as per Transfermarkt).

gabriel-jesus-arsenal-transfer-arteta-edu-monaco-folarin-balogun

One solution, as previously mentioned, could be to go down the route of finding another young talent, which has served the Gunners really well over the last few years. Especially with Arteta's concerns about Financial Fair Play at the moment.

Arsenal on Ibrahim Osman scouting mission

Indeed, according to the Express, Arsenal are monitoring Ibrahim Osman from afar, as they weigh up attacking options. However, the Gunners will face competition as the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Fulham are also interested.

And, Ben Jacobs has stated that a January transfer is "possible" for Osman. The 19-year-old can play anywhere across the front three, though he is typically deployed as a left winger for current club FC Nordsjaelland over in Denmark.

Judging by the youngster's stats, it doesn't appear as if this would be a move to solve the supposed striker goals issue at the Emirates as he's only produced four goals and layed on five assists in 29 appearances this season.

Ibrahim Osman's Superliga statistics – 2023/24 (Sofascore)

Key passes per game

1.2

Shots per game

2.6

Big chances created

6

Successful dribbles per game

2.6

Assists

4

Goals

1

Appearances

16

The winger, who represents Ghana at youth level, is expected to secure a move away from Denmark at some point, which is something that even the manager Johannes Thorup isn't denying:

“He is a fast winger and striker, and I have huge expectations for him to be skilled. He has the pace which is important for us to have on at least one of our strikers. I don’t want to say that he has to take over for someone, but people can probably figure out that there is a player who is really good for us in the Super League, who might be really hard to keep,” .

مران الزمالك | انتظام الصفقتين الجديدتين.. وحضور سيف الجزيري

واصل فريق الكرة بالزمالك خوض تدريباته الجماعية اليوم الثلاثاء على ملعب النادي، ضمن الاستعدادات لمواجهة فريق الشرطة الكيني ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

ويستعد فريق الزمالك للقاء فريق الشرطة الكيني المقرر له يوم  14 سبتمبر الجاري بالعاصمة الكينية نيروبي، في ذهاب دور الـ32 للبطولة القارية.

وشهدت مران الزمالك الظهور الأول لمحمد حمدي الظهير الأيسر الجديد للفريق وأيضًا السنغالي سيدي ندياي المهاجم الجديد، ونظم لاعبو الفريق ممراً شرفياً للاعبين على هامش المران للاحتفال بانضمامهما للقلعة البيضاء.

وكان مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب تعاقد مع محمد حمدي الظهير الأيسر لفريق إنبي لمدة موسم على سبيل الإعارة خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية، وذلك بعد موافقة البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز المدير الفني.

بينما اجتاز سيدي ندياي اجتاز الكشف الطبي خلال الساعات القليلة الماضية بعد وصوله إلى القاهرة مساء يوم الأحد الماضي، وتم الإعلان عن التعاقد معه لمدة أربعة مواسم خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.

وحرص التونسي سيف الدين الجزيري مهاجم الفريق على التواجد في تدريبات الفريق اليوم الثلاثاء التي أقيمت على ملعب النادي، لمصافحة زملائه والجهاز الفني بعد عودته من تونس عصر اليوم.

طالع | موعد انتظام الفلسطيني عمر فرج في تدريبات الزمالك

وعاد الجزيري إلى القاهرة بعد التواجد في صفوف منتخب بلاده، عقب خوض مباراتي مدغشقر وجامبيا في التصفيات المؤهلة لبطولة كأس الأمم الأفريقية.

ومن المقرر أن يقام لقاء العودة بين الزمالك والشرطة الكيني، على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي مساء يوم 20 سبتمبر الجاري.

Hampshire cruise to second win on back of Tom Alsop hundred

A career-best 130 not out from Tom Alsop saw Glamorgan beaten with seven wickets and 8.1 overs to spare

ECB Reporters Network19-Apr-2019

Tom Alsop drives down the ground•Getty Images

Tom Alsop’s smashed his one-day career best to help Hampshire continue their 100% record in the Royal London Cup as they thrashed Glamorgan by seven wickets. Holders Hampshire sailed past Kent earlier in the week and had few worries in seeing off winless Glamorgan with 8.1 overs to spare.Alsop and captain James Vince were the catalysts for the victory with a 161-run stand for the second wicket – with Alsop ending on a classy unbeaten 130 and Vince falling five runs short of three figures.On a good-paced wicket under blue skies, Hampshire lost Aiden Markram in the ninth over when he thumped to Billy Root at deep square leg. But Vince and Alsop put Glamorgan to the sword with their crushing partnership.Vince, on the back of a half-century in the competition opener against Kent on Wednesday, continued his form in a typically attractive style. Instead of his usual off-side bias, Vince hit eight of his 11 fours through the leg side, with some powerful, yet perfectly placed, shots clubbed between midwicket and square leg.The skipper reached his fifty in 43 balls and looked set for a ninth List A ton, but picked out Craig Meschede at point on 95.But it was Alsop who sparkled. He was the more watchful early on, not scared to soak up pressure but relieving it by dispatching boundaries when needed, including two huge sixes.The former England Lions batsman scored 72 in last summer’s final and picked up where he left off as he collected his second century in the format, and his first for two years, in 93 balls. Sam Northeast fell for 14 when he was lbw to Marnus Labuschagne but Alsop continued his raid with another six fours and a maximum to take Hampshire home.Glamorgan’s innings was a curious one, having won the toss and elected to bat, with two collapses but managing to reach a creditable total.Kyle Abbott was the instigator of the first wobble of the innings as he restricted the visitors to 28 for 3 in the first eight overs with high-quality line-and-length bowling.Meschede was the first to depart when his attempted hook was top-edged into the gloves of Alsop. Charles Hemphrey and Labuschagne were also early victims – both caught off edges, the former to Liam Dawson at first slip, the latter to Alsop.Just as Glamorgan appeared to be faltering towards a low total David Lloyd and Billy Root steadied things by adding 100 for the fourth wicket – helped by Abbott and the equally efficient Chris Wood being withdrawn from the attack.Lloyd was the more attacking of the duo and reached his fourth List A half-century with a six to the longest square boundary off James Fuller. But another dip saw them fall to 140 for 6.Root reached 39 before he was bowled by part-time spinner Markram and Lloyd’s entertaining knock was ended by a run out. Kiran Carlson was then lbw to Mason Crane but Glamorgan’s tail wagged, through Graham Wagg.Veteran Wagg took control, carting Dawson for a pair of maximums in an over on his way to a 47-ball fifty. Chris Cooke was given a life when he was dropped by Fuller at point and added 95 with Wagg to take their side over 200.Cooke, run out by a stunning swoop by Vince at cover, and Wagg, caught for a career-best 68 slapping to Vince off Dawson, departed within an over of each other, before Marchant de Lange was stumped.

Aston Villa target Marcos Acuna free to leave Sevilla this month – report

Last year, Aston Villa sporting director Monchi hoped to reunite with full-back Marcos Acuna in the Midlands. Monchi had brought Acuna to Spanish club Sevilla and tried to sign him once again, with the player himself pushing for the move and Unai Emery publicly expressing admiration for a "very good" player.

However, Sevilla believed that Villa's offer was insufficient, and their refusal to budge left Acuna frustrated. Six months on, the Argentine continues to be linked with Emery's side, who are weighing up whether to sell Lucas Digne in the summer.

Digne is among Villa's highest earners at £120,000 per week, and the club recognise that offloading him could be a smart financial move. Acuna could be his replacement, and there's been some encouraging news on that front.

Acuna gets the green light he's wanted

According to Vamos Mi Sevilla, Acuna is now free to leave this month. As he enters the final 18 months of his contract, the La Liga club have decided that the time is right to let him go, with all parties now trying to "seek a transfer". If no move materialises in January, he's expected to depart in the summer.

Marcos Acuna

Acuna has apparently endured a somewhat tumultuous relationship with the club, strained further by their decision to reject Villa's last bid. As such, the door is open for Emery to make a move.

Acuna fits the bill for Emery, but discipline a worry

Acuna, who's now 32, joined Sevilla from Sporting in 2020 and has since racked up 135 appearances for the club, with the highlight of his stint no doubt the 2022/23 Europa League triumph. Even though he missed the final through suspension, he earned a place in the competition's team of the season.

That capped off an incredible year that had also seen him win the World Cup with Argentina, but this season has been markedly more difficult. Sidelined for 10 league matches through injury, he's been limited to eight top-flight appearances thus far.

When fit, though, Acuna clearly fits the stylistic bill for Emery. As noted by The Athletic, the Spaniard wants a left-back who can "essentially become a quasi-left-winger in possession", and his veteran target has played over 150 games in advanced positions on the left flank.

It was in the 2021/22 season that he truly displayed his potency as an offensive full-back, placing fourth in the league for crosses attempted on a whopping 178, and finishing second for completed crosses into the area (27). That production helped to earn him a place in the league's best XI.

Still, there will be big boots to fill if he succeeds Digne. In this year's Premier League, only Newcastle's Kieran Trippier (6.0), Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold (4.2) and Spurs' Pedro Porro (4.1) have posted a higher expected assist figure than Digne (2.7) among all defenders, and he also ranks fifth in his position for key passes (29). Only Trippier has found a teammate with more crosses (14 vs 13).

One area of concern around Acuna is discipline. No player in Europe's top five leagues was sent off more last season (three times), and he's amassed a whopping 33 yellow cards since he arrived at Sevilla. He could put Villa in tricky positions if he gets himself either dismissed or suspended, which would be a source of frustration for fans.

Vasco vence o Fluminense pelo Campeonato Carioca Feminino

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de perder o clássico para o Flamengo, o Fluminense acabou derrotado novamente para um rival. Desta vez, o Vasco venceu o confronto por 2 a 1, em partida realizada nas Laranjeiras, pela 6ª rodada do Campeonato Carioca Feminino. Os gols foram marcados por Bebel e Pimentinha; Letícia descontou para o Tricolor.

> Fluminense é o grande há mais tempo sem conquistar o Carioca: relembre as campanhas dos últimos 20 anos

Na próxima rodada, o Flu tem folga, mas depois, na quarta, às 15h, encara outra grande equipe do Rio de Janeiro, o Botafogo, atual vice-campeão da Série A2 do Brasileiro. Antes disso, porém, o Vasco encara o próprio Alvinegro, no sábado, às 15h.

VEJA A TABELA DO CAMPEONATO CARIOCA

O Vasco construiu a vantagem logo cedo. O primeiro gol saiu aos sete minutos do primeiro tempo e o segundo logo depois, aos 15. O Fluminense conseguiu pressionar, colocou uma bola no travessão e diminuiu aos 45, com pênalti sofrido e cobrado por Letícia. Apesar da pressão, nada mudou na segunda etapa.

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Tottenham want to sign £50m midfielder alongside Conor Gallagher

Tottenham have been told the "mega money" price tag needed to sign a midfielder they really want, alongside the heavily linked Chelsea star Conor Gallagher.

Postecoglou chasing new midfielder after Dragusin

After securing the arrivals of Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig, and defender Radu Dragusin from Genoa in a part-exchange deal worth around £26 million (Fabrizio Romano), attention turns to the possible addition of a new midfielder.

Tottenham immediately pushing for next signing after Dragusin and Werner

The Lilywhites are wasting not time.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 11, 2024

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou reportedly wants a new number eight in the engine room, and one who can alternate with playmaker James Maddison when required.

Reports in the last few weeks have suggested this could come down to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's future, and whether the Dane can seal a move away from north London before January 31.

However, The Independent and journalist Miguel Delaney shared an update on this after Spurs sealed a deal for Dragusin – indicating that may not be the case as Tottenham "press ahead" with plans to sign another midfielder.

The most heavily linked option by far has been Gallagher of Chelsea. The Englishman has been excellent under Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge this season, starting 19 league games as a key player.

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher

Gallagher is currently level with Cole Palmer for top-flight assists at Chelsea, and his stellar form has apparently turned Postecoglou's head in his search for a new midfield running man at Spurs.

However, that isn't to say he's their only option, as it is also believed the Lilywhites hold a keen interest in signing Royal Antwerp sensation Arthur Vermeeren. The Belgian has enjoyed somewhat of a breakthrough campaign in the Jupiler Pro League this season, and has even drawn comparisons with legendary Barcelona stars like Andreas Iniesta.

Vermeeren has started 20 league matches and featured in all of Antwerp's Champions League games earlier this term. The 18-year-old has been described by Spurs scouts as the "next Christian Eriksen", according to Tottenham News, who have another line on the club's interest in Vermeeren this week.

Tottenham want "mega money" Vermeeren

According to the outlet, Vermeeren is of real interest to Tottenham, but the club will have to pay what sources describe as a "mega money" fee to prise him away from Belgium. Indeed, the package required would be £25 million initial payment and an extra £25 million in performance-related add-ons.

This is how highly rated Vermeeren is at Antwerp, but it remains to be seen if Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and the club's recruitment team think he's worth that marquee figure.

Spurs transfer target Arthur Vermeeren in Champions League action for Antwerp.

What's abundantly clear, though, is that the teenager is a player of sky-high potential and one to watch over the coming weeks.

"Do I sometimes watch with my mouth open? Certainly," said former Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld on Vermeeren.

"Everyone knows perfectly what to do when in possession of the ball and when losing the ball. Then the qualities of such a boy come to the fore. What he shows at his age is fantastic. I have rarely seen that."

Why ‘Cristiano Ronaldo is a more complete player than Lionel Messi’ – with Premier League & MLS used in argument by former CR7 team-mate

Former Portugal international Pedro Mendes has explained why, for him, Cristiano Ronaldo is a “more complete player” than Lionel Messi.

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Portuguese icon played in five countriesArgentine legend only figured in threeBoth have rewritten the history booksWHAT HAPPENED?

The GOAT debate continues to rage when it comes to two icons of the modern era, with Messi and Ronaldo posting numbers across their respective record-breaking careers that may never be seen again – with countless major honours being collected by a couple of all-time greats.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo has spread his wings a little further than Messi – spending time with Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr. His Argentine rival appeared set to be a one-club man when rewriting the history books at Barcelona, but has since moved on to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.

WHAT MENDES SAID

Using the Premier League and MLS in his argument for Ronaldo being the best to ever play the game, Mendes has told : “I think we have witnessed the two greatest players of all time in the game, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, for years and years they competed at the highest level and have done fantastic things on the pitch, both of them are incredible. The debate always comes down to who you like more as a player, for more Cristiano Ronaldo is the more complete player, he proved he could win La Liga, the Premier League and Serie A and was the top scorer in all of them – for me that is a huge thing to do.

“Between him and Messi, Ronaldo wins that battle. Messi of course is a fantastic technical player, but we only saw him playing outside Spain for two years in France towards the end of his career and only now in MLS. So we never knew how we would do in England in the Premier League where it is far more aggressive with more tackles, where Ronaldo did fantastically. In that debate there is a lot of controversy and opinion, but Ronaldo is a more complete player than Messi.”

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT?

Messi, who will turn 37 in June, continues to catch the eye in the United States and now has eight Ballons d’Or to his name. Ronaldo, with five Golden Balls in his collection, is showing no sign of slowing down at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and is expected to play on well into his 40s.

O’Neil must drop Wolves star who had fewer touches than Sa v Brentford

Wolverhampton Wanderers were devastatingly effective against Brentford last time out in Premier League action, Gary O'Neil's men only registering five shots on target but running out as comprehensive 4-1 winners over a shell-shocked Bees side come full-time.

Hwang Hee-chan helped himself to a brace to keep up his excellent individual campaign to date in the victory, whilst Mario Lemina and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde also got in the act in London from midfield.

Not every player in the Wolves side came away from the game overjoyed with their own display, however, with Nelson Semedo notably underperforming down the right-hand side for the Old Gold despite the emphatic final scoreline.

O'Neil could be tempted to drop the Portuguese wing-back for the game at Molineux against Everton today as a result, assessing the other options available to him that could come in for the underwhelming number 22.

Nelson Semedo's game vs Brentford in numbers

Semedo's poor showing against Thomas Frank's Bees stood out like a sore thumb, the 30-year-old way off the pace of his other teammates carrying the team over the line to a big win.

Amassing just 27 touches in the contest, as per Sofascore – fewer than teammate Jose Sa (48) in the sticks – before being substituted off by O'Neil in the second half, the wing-back also failed to register a single accurate cross in the game down the flanks.

In stark contrast, Rayan Aït Nouri – on the opposing flank – was a constant thorn in the Brentford side with six successful dribble attempts notched up by the lively Algerian throughout the 90 minutes.

Semedo also shied away from his defensive duties against Brentford, losing 80% of his duels in total with his Old Gold counterparts having to pick up the slack to thwart the Bees venturing forward.

Wolves could sign dream partner for Hwang in "dynamite" £15m gem

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By
Adam Scully

Dec 28, 2023

Joao Gomes in the middle of the park more than made up for the sheepish Semedo by remaining resolute throughout, the 22-year-old winning an astounding 11 duels in the 4-1 win.

Semedo may just have to hope O'Neil isn't cut-throat and retains him despite this below-par showing for the test of the Toffees today, taking into account his overall season and not this blip in isolation.

Nelson Semedo's season in numbers

The senior Portugal international has shone for the Old Gold away from this second-rate display versus the Bees this season, helping himself to an assist at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal recently.

The Wolves number 22 was also competent facing off against Chelsea on Christmas Eve prior to his off-day in London, the ex-Barcelona man winning six duels in total and nullifying the likes of Mykhaylo Mudryk at Molineux without having to really break a sweat.

The underlying statistics from this top-flight campaign to date indicate that Semedo was perhaps just lethargic against the Bees in the midst of a jam-packed run of fixtures, coming in with the highest successful dribble percentage in the league this season as a defender.

Yet, O'Neil will understand the need to utilise his full squad effectively and could call upon experienced figure Matt Doherty to fill in against Everton adequately.

With Wolves losing just one of their last five games in the Premier League, the popular Old Gold manager will hope this switch in personnel won't unsettle any harmony beginning to form at the West Midlands club.

Sunrisers Hyderabad lose 8 for 15 and their third successive game

Kane Williamson returned from injury and Sunrisers Hyderabad rang in four changes, but their brittle middle order cost them their third successive match in IPL 2019. This after incisive bursts from quicks Khaleel Ahmed and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had limited Delhi Capitals to 155 for 7.David Warner and Jonny Bairstow built a strong platform in the chase, putting on 72 off 59 balls for the first wicket. However, from 72 for 0 and then 101 for 2, Sunrisers crashed and burned to 116 all out with seven balls unused in their innings.This was Capitals’ third successive win on the road, and it moved them up to second on the points table, behind only Chennai Super Kings, who have a four-point lead at the top. Kagiso Rabada and Keemo Paul played starring roles for Capitals, claiming seven wickets and six catches between them, including a sharp caught-and-bowled chance.Welcome back, Khaleel and Munro
From out of nowhere, Khaleel bolted into India’s limited-overs squads last year, but fell out of the World Cup plans after repeatedly erring in his lines and lengths in New Zealand earlier this year. He then let it rip for Rajasthan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, emerging as the highest wicket-taker for his state with 12 scalps at an economy rate of 6.47, despite playing only four games.Injury meant he wasn’t immediately available in the XI for six games, but he recovered for this game, coming into the XI alongside Williamson. This Hyderabad track offered some early zip to the quicks, and Khaleel ably exploited it with his splice-jarring lengths.In his first over, he cramped Prithvi Shaw for room and had him edging a cut to the keeper. In his next over, he properly dug one into the middle of the pitch and drew a top-edged hook from Shikhar Dhawan.Capitals were 20 for 2 in the fourth over, but Colin Munro teed off to give the innings a leg-up. Colin Ingram had returned to South Africa on paternity leave, but the other Colin checked in with rasping cover-drives and leg-side pick-up shots. Just when Munro was threatening to launch into top gear, left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma unfurled a back-spinning legcutter to dismiss him.Delhi Capitals lose their way
Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant put on 56 for the fourth wicket, but they couldn’t get enough big hits away. Vijay Shankar, Abhishek, and Deepak Hooda filled in for the fifth-bowling option, giving away only 35 runs among them. Rashid Khan strangled them further with his fizzing legbreaks and wrong’uns.Iyer then went searching for runs against Bhuvneshwar, but he got one to burst off the deck and had Capitals’ captain tickling behind for 45 off 40 balls. In the next over, Khaleel took down Pant for 23 off 19 balls to expose Daredevils’ brittle lower-middle order. Capitals managed just 34 runs for the loss of four wickets in their last five overs. Sunrisers would fare worse in the chase.Sunrisers get swamped
With the ball sliding onto the bat in the early exchanges, Warner and Bairstow shaved 40 runs off the target of 156 in the Powerplay. Enter Keemo Paul. The pitch stared to tire and he bowled a variety of slower balls, including ones in the 90kph range to force Sunrisers to manufacture the pace for themselves. When Bairstow and Williamson attempted to do that, they were both caught by Rabada.Local batsman Ricky Bhui, who was promoted to No.4 ahead of the in-form Vijay Shankar, laboured to 7 off 12 balls before Paul got him too, this time with a seam-up ball.Suddenly, Sunrisers were left needing 52 off 24 balls and were up against Rabada. The South Africa fast bowler took down Warner and Vijay off successive balls to hasten Sunrisers’ collapse. While Warner was undone by a 114kph slower one, Vijay was blasted out by a ball that was 34kph faster. Chris Morris followed it up with three wickets in the next over to put the game beyond Sunrisers’ reach.

Hamid Hassan picked in Afghanistan's World Cup squad; Naib to captain

Asghar Afghan, who was removed from captaincy earlier this month, was among the 15 players picked

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2019Hamid Hassan, the 31-year-old fast bowler who last played an ODI in June 2016, has been selected among Afghanistan’s 15 players who will go to England for the 2019 World Cup.The squad will be led by Gulbadin Naib, despite criticism from senior players Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi following Asghar Afghan’s removal as ODI captain less than two months before the World Cup. Afghan, however, remains a part of the squad.The 15-member squad was selected following a training camp held in Potchefstroom in South Africa that featured 23 players. Ikram Ali Khil, Karim Janat and Sayed Shirzad failed to make it to the 15, but were named as the reserve players.Four players from Afghanistan’s last ODI squad – that played against Ireland – did not make the squad: left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan, left-arm fast bowlers Shapoor Zadran and Fareed Ahmad, and top-order batsman Javed Ahmadi.The selection committee said that the squad was selected after considering fitness and performances over the past six months, and that young wicketkeeper Ikram was chosen as back-up for Shahzad given the long duration of the tournament.”As chief selector, it is my duty to select a competitive team,” Dawlat Khan Ahmadzai said. “However, there were some challenges that we needed to handle. We selected the best squad considering factors such as experience, fitness, team balance, current form and conditions.”Luckily for us, the come-back of senior fast bowler Hamid Hassan is good news. However, we will take into account his form and fitness during upcoming practice matches.”Hassan last played for Afghanistan in July 2016 against Ireland, and his last T20I was in the World T20 in India in 2016. He was picked in the T20I squad again earlier this year for the Zimbabwe series in February, but he didn’t get a game.Ahmadzai said the team’s motive was to play “inspirational cricket” in the World Cup. “It is has been a six-month preparation process for the ICC Cricket World Cup. The mission is to play inspirational cricket in the tournament; I know there are strong teams but we will do our level best to achieve our goals.”Afghanistan’s first game is against Australia on June 1.Afghanistan squad: Gulbadin Naib (capt), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rahman

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