Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has admitted that even he was taken aback by the sudden departure of Daniel Levy as Spurs chairman. Levy, who had been in the role for nearly a quarter of a century, was asked to step down last week by ENIC, the Lewis family-owned group that controls the club.

Levy’s 24-year reign leaves deep foundations

Levy’s exit closed a remarkable 24-year chapter at Tottenham, making him one of the longest-serving top-flight chairmen in English football. During his time, he was instrumental in two transformative projects: the construction of Hotspur Way, Spurs’ state-of-the-art training centre, and the £1 billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, widely regarded as one of the best arenas in world football. Frank insisted those developments give Spurs the platform to stand toe-to-toe with Europe’s elite in the years to come.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFrank heaps praise on Levy’s legacy

Frank was quick to highlight Levy’s role in modernising the club, and said: "I would say I don't think anyone expected it, but a decision has been made and we move forward. Daniel deserves massive praise. He has been here 24 years, which must be one of the longest chairman in the Premier League ever.

"The things he's built, the success he's been a massive part of, you can't praise enough, and two big things are that he has laid foundations for the future in terms of this fantastic training centre and the stadium. Both of them are at a level where we can compete with big clubs for the future."

Despite only working under Levy for three months, Frank revealed he made time to personally thank the outgoing chairman for appointing him as head coach. “Yes, I've spoken to him and of course known Daniel, but only known him the last three months,” Frank said. “Of course, I spent more time with him, but it's been brief. I said thank you because it was not only him appointing me, but he had the decisive words, and I will always be appreciative of that."

New leadership team set to guide Spurs

With Levy gone, the responsibility now falls on chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and new non-executive chairman Peter Charrington, who, alongside Frank, will be tasked with shaping the next phase of Tottenham’s story. The Lewis family, through ENIC, remain in full control and is said to be determined to translate Levy’s off-field successes into silverware on the pitch.

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ENIC underline commitment to Tottenham project

Frank was also keen to dismiss any suggestion of instability following Levy’s exit. He emphasised that this is not a change of ownership but rather a restructuring that gives ENIC greater influence.

"It is not a new ownership, it is the same ownership but it's just the majority shareholders have more influence," he clarified. "They are very committed to the club and want to build something for the future. The main thing I can do is focus on my job now and that is West Ham tomorrow."

He had clattered a 58-ball century against Australia Under-19 in a four-day game less than two months ago

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2024

Bihar youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a left-hand top-order batter, has become the youngest player to earn an IPL deal, worth INR 1.10 crore (US$0.13 million approx.), from Rajasthan Royals (RR).Suryavanshi, all of 13 years and 243 days on the day he got his maiden IPL contract, has already played for India Under-19 and scored a century opening the batting against Australia Under-19 in a four-day game in Chennai less than two months ago.Bids for Suryavanshi started at his base price of INR 30 lakh and RR and Delhi Capitals (DC) were soon involved in the bidding battle, which eventually went RR’s way.”He’s been to our high performance center in Nagpur, he had trials there and really impressed our coaching set-up there,” RR CEO Jake Lush McCrum said after the auction ended. “He’s an incredible talent and of course you got to have the confidence so he can step up to the IPL level. So lots of work will go in in the coming months to continue to develop him but hell of a talent and we’re really excited to have him as part of the franchise.”Suryavanshi, who hails from Samastipur, a city about 100 kilometres north-east from Patna, has featured in five Ranji Trophy games since his first-class debut against Mumbai earlier this year and is currently playing T20s in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Bihar. He recently made his T20 debut against Rajasthan, on November 23.The highlight of his career so far is the century against Australia U-19, which came off just 58 balls, before he fell for 104. That knock made Suryavanshi the youngest player – at 13 years and 187 days – to score a century in youth cricket, breaking the previous record of 14 years and 241 days held by Bangladesh’s current captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.Suryavanshi also has a triple-century to his name – an unbeaten 332 – in an U-19 tournament in Bihar, the Randhir Verma Tournament. He idolises Brian Lara and consults former India opener Wasim Jaffer about his game from time to time – they had first met during an U-19 white-ball tournament in Bangladesh in November 2023.His formal coach, though, is his father Sanjeev Suryavanshi. Sanjeev was a cricketer, too, but when he couldn’t make it to the higher levels, he turned to coaching, and began working with Vaibhav once he showed an interest in playing the game seriously.

Brendan Rodgers has had a strong start to the season with Celtic winning both of their opening Scottish Premiership games and only sitting behind Hearts on goal difference.

So far this window Celtic have brought in six players, three purchased and three on free transfers. The youngest of the permanent signings is 19-year-old Callum Osmand, who arrived on a free from Fulham’s academy where he registered 24-goal involvement in 32 appearances last season.

Rodgers has also brought in one loanee with Manchester City youngster Jahmai Simpson-Pusey. Celtic have signed the 19-year-old on a season-long loan, but they don’t have an option to buy, meaning if they decide they want to make the signing permanent next summer, then they will have to enter negotiations with City.

Despite these arrivals, Rodgers has spoken publicly about his desire to sign new players, particularly at the top end of the pitch.

Rodgers wants busy end to the window with Celtic working on 3 signings

According to FootballI Insider’s sources, Celtic are planning on making three more signings before the window closes. These signings are looking to be a centre back, a winger and a striker. The report stating the Hoops are working on the deals behind the scenes after Rodgers ‘publicly revealed that he is unhappy with the Hoops’ business so far’.

This number could potentially increase to four if they qualify for the Champions League. Celtic’s next step in qualification will be their two-legged fixture against Kazakh side FC Kairat.

Celtic were already looking to sign a new winger following the departure of Nicholas Kuhn to Como but with the news that Jota has suffered cruciate ligament damage and will be unavailable for approximately nine months this matter has become even more pressing.

Celtic's transfer targets

With at least three players left to bring in and only a few weeks left of the window, Celtic have likely already identified, and may be in talks with the relevant parties associated with, the players they want to sign.

Celtics’ move for Jakob Breum from Go Ahead Eagles earlier in the window was derailed by Rangers’ purchase of Oliver Antman as it gave the Eagles the financial freedom to keep him. However, if Celtic have their heart set on Breum, then they could come in with an increased offer that’s too good to be refused.

For Rodgers new striker lots of names have been floated, some of which have now found new clubs, such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Evan Ferguson. One name that they had previously had been linked to that is still available is Italian youngster Giuseppe Ambrosino, who had been rumored to sign alongside Shin Yamada.

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At the other end of the pitch, Etienne Youte is a name that has come up several times. The French youngster has an estimated price tag of £4.3 million and has been a reported target of a number of clubs across Europe and looks like he will leave Le Havre before the transfer window ends.

Only time will tell if Celtic go for players that have previously been linked with or new targets, but either way, it looks like Celtic could be conducting business right up until the windows close.

After missing out on Richard Rios to Benfica, West Ham United have reportedly joined the race to sign an impressive alternative who ticks several boxes for Graham Potter.

West Ham face Soucek concern

West Ham’s interest in Rios came as little surprise earlier this summer. Not only is the South American incredibly talented, but he could have also eased Potter’s Tomas Soucek concern. The Czech Republic midfielder has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium all summer long, with a reunion with David Moyes at Everton potentially on the cards, and his departure would deal West Ham a frustrating blow.

At the peak of his powers, Rios would have provided West Ham with an ideal replacement for their veteran midfielder amid speculation over his future. In the end, however, the 25-year-old couldn’t resist the chance to join Benfica in a deal worth around €30m (£26m).

So, it’s back to the drawing board for West Ham as they look to push on and add to their list of incomings, which currently includes just Daniel Cummings, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters.

After finishing as low as 14th in the Premier League last season too, the Hammers can ill-afford to get things wrong in Potter’s first full season in charge. The last thing they need is to be sucked into an unexpected relegation battle once again.

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With that said, reports are now suggesting that they’ve joined the battle to sign an impressive alternative to Rios this summer.

West Ham enter race to sign Deossa

As reported by Claret & Hugh, West Ham have now entered the race to sign Nelson Deossa from Monterrey after sending scouts to watch the midfield star in action. The Colombian grabbed the headlines earlier this summer when he unleashed a sensational strike against Urawa Reds at the Club World Cup and now has both West Ham and AS Roma jostling for his signature.

Monterrey are reportedly demanding just $16m (£12m) to sell Deossa this summer in what is a far cheaper deal than the £26m that Benfica paid to sign his compatriot, Rios.

Whether Deossa can replicate Rios’ ability is the big question. And to answer that query, Claret & Hugh were quick to point out that the 25-year-old would tick plenty of boxes for Potter this summer.

The South American is athletic, composed under pressure and well-rounded technically. On paper, West Ham could land a bargain deal which ensures that any Rios failure becomes an instant afterthought.

Up against Roma, who have already made contact in the race to sign Deossa, West Ham must act quickly if they want to secure their fourth arrival of the window.

Australia regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the silverware that had eluded them for a decade, and confirmed their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final alongside South Africa, after finishing off India inside three days at the SCG.India’s hopes of staying in contention for the WTC final rested on Jasprit Bumrah, but without him those faded away. For someone who had a massive influence on this series, with the most wickets by an India bowler on a tour of Australia, it was a shame he couldn’t play a part in the final act, though he had still done enough to be the Player of the Series.Related

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After having left the SCG on the second day for scans on his back, Bumrah returned to bat at No. 11 on the third day but wasn’t fit to bowl. All the early visuals had portended Bumrah’s absence. He didn’t warm up with the other bowlers and only did a bit of shadow-bowling. Then, after becoming the last India batter to be dismissed, for a duck, he didn’t take the field at all for India’s defence of 161. Given his history of back issues, India had to wrap him in cotton wool.The target was a substantial one for Australia, especially on this spicy SCG surface, but it did appear a whole lot smaller when Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna sprayed the new ball around. The pair conceded 12 runs via wides and byes down the leg side in the first two overs. Though Prasidh tightened up and took three wickets, including that of Steven Smith, Bumrah’s absence hung like Coleridge’s albatross around India’s neck.The batters didn’t make it any easier for India’s depleted attack. They lost 4 for 16 in 7.5 overs on the third morning to fold for 157. Scott Boland, who might not have played this series had Josh Hazlewood been fit and might not be a certainty for Australia’s next Test assignment in Sri Lanka, bagged his first ten-wicket haul in professional cricket to hasten India’s collapse. Having taken four wickets on the opening day at the SCG, Boland added six to his tally – his second five-for in Test cricket since his 6 for 7 on debut, which was just as glorious.The Australians got their hands on the trophy after a long gap•Getty Images

Boland had started the day with a maiden and continued to stalk both the edges by hitting a perfect length. He had Siraj caught at first slip and castled Bumrah in the 40th over to wrap up India’s innings. Boland then, fittingly, held the ball aloft and led Australia off the field, with the SCG crowd giving him a rousing reception.His captain Cummins had earlier accounted for Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Jadeja had been dropped by Smith in the slips on 6 on day two, but it cost Australia just seven runs, with Cummins going much fuller to kiss Jadeja’s outside edge. He then nipped one through Washington’s gate to expose India’s tail to Boland.Australia capitalised on the wayward new-ball bowling from Siraj and Krishna, running away to 39 for no loss in the fourth over. Prasidh provided India with the breakthrough when he had Sam Konstas miscuing a slog to mid-off for 22 off 17 balls.After the second day’s play, Prasidh spoke of how he shifted from his stock back of a length plan to a much fuller one after a chat with the analyst. However, on Sunday, with the harder, newer ball, he gleaned more bounce and seam movement with his natural length. After smacking Marnus Labuschagne on his elbow, Prasidh had him steering a catch to gully.For the second time in two days, more than 40,000 fans at the SCG were poised to celebrate Smith scaling 10,000 Test runs, but Prasidh had other ideas and snared him one shy of the landmark with a prancing delivery. Smith will now have to wait until the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle later this month for his next opportunity to become the 15th Test batter in the 10,000 club.India had to wait until after lunch to get rid of Usman Khawaja. The opener misjudged Siraj’s length, bottom-edging a pull to Pant for 41 off 45 balls. India felt that they were on to something after that. Siraj roared while Virat Kohli, who stood in as captain, charged towards his bowler from the slips and animatedly pumped his fist.Beau Webster, the debutant, roars after hitting the winning runs•Getty Images

Travis Head and debutant Beau Webster, however, changed the mood and the game quickly. When Nitish Kumar Reddy offered up a wide half-volley in his first over, Head stayed leg side of the ball and unleashed a rasping blow through the covers. At the other end, Webster was less adventurous, but still scored at a fast clip, thanks to his long reach, which messed with the lengths of the bowlers.Webster, who had made his first-class debut back in 2014, might have wondered if his time at the top level would ever come. When it finally did, the 31-year-old made it a memorable one. He top-scored for Australia with 57 in their first innings – only Pant scored more runs than him – and dismissed Shubman Gill to go with some excellent catching in the slips.On Sunday, Webster struck an unbeaten 39 off 34 balls and provided the when he stepped out to Washington and pumped him straight of mid-off for four. Australia chased down 162 in 27 overs.Prasidh and Siraj bowled 24 of the first 25 overs in the chase. Their only respite – besides a lunch break – came when Australia were three hits away from victory. Jadeja didn’t bowl at all in the final innings and Washington bowled just one over, bringing India’s selection into sharp focus once again. While Australia had immense depth in their attack, India lacked it and Bumrah’s injury only compounded their troubled tour of Australia.

Birmingham City are believed to be targeting a shock move for a “great player” in the summer transfer window, in what would be a major statement of intent.

Birmingham buoyant after strong start to season

Chris Davies’ side went into the new Championship season as something of an unknown, with some predicting them to seal back-to-back promotions and others wondering if they would struggle with the step up from League One.

It has been a positive opening two league matches for Birmingham, though, who came agonisingly close to beating Ipswich Town at home on the opening weekend, before producing a stunning late comeback to win 2-1 away to Blackburn Rovers last Saturday.

The early signs are extremely promising for the Blues, but Davies will know the importance of completing more transfer business between now and the end of the month, having missed out on rumoured target Danny Namasa, who has instead joined Auxerre on loan from Porto.

Added depth can be priceless for Birmingham as the season goes on, with legs tiring and squad depth worth their worth in gold, and now a hugely renowned player has been linked with a move to St Andrew’s.

Birmingham keen on signing Premier League champion

According to a fresh report from The Mirror, Birmingham “have made an ambitious move” for former England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.

The 32-year-old wants to leave current club Besiktas and return to English football after a forgettable spell in Turkey, and the Blues “hope they can convince him because of the ownership and direction”, during an exciting period in the club’s history.

At 32, Oxlade-Chamberlain isn’t the force he was prior to a serious knee injury at Liverpool in 2018, but he could still be a statement signing by Birmingham.

The Englishman would add box-to-box quality to the heart of Davies’ midfield, having registered 44 goals/assists in the Premier League in his career, as well as once being lauded by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

“We could all see the potential of Alex and where he could develop. He picked an incredible club to move to and he wanted a challenge probably after so many years here. We have to accept that and I think we all wish him the best because as well as being a great player, I think he was someone who was really, really like here among the fans, the staff and the players.”

Birmingham have the financial clout to entice a player like Oxlade-Chamberlain to the club this summer, and if he feels they are genuine promotion contenders in the Championship, he could jump at the opportunity to come in as a star man, helping them return to the Premier League.

Aston Villa are now making advances in their pursuit of a “fabulous” attacker, with Unai Emery keen to bolster his forward line before the September 1st transfer deadline.

Emery keen on new forward after disappointing start

The 0-0 draw against Newcastle United on the opening day wasn’t the worst result, but Emery is likely to be a little more concerned by his side’s most recent performance, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat away at Brentford on Saturday.

The Villans dominated possession throughout the match, and arguably should have at least drawn the game on the balance of play, recording an xG of 1.23, compared to Brentford’s 1.27, but they were ultimately unable to take their chances.

As such, it is no surprise that Emery wants to bring in at least one new attacker before the deadline, and Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that three forwards with Premier League experience remain on the manager’s shortlist.

However, according to a report from A Bola (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have also submitted an offer for a Liga Portugal forward, namely Sporting CP’s Geny Catamo, with a €20m (£17m) proposal being tabled.

The Villans are said to be making advances in their pursuit of Catamo, but there is set to be competition for his signature from Fenerbahce, and the most recent offer was deemed too low by Sporting.

The Portuguese club are looking to hold out for around €25m – €30m (£22m – £26m) for the forward, meaning Monchi will have to increase his offer to tempt them into a sale.

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ByWill Miller Aug 23, 2025 Catamo could be "fabulous" Ramsey replacement

With Jacob Ramsey departing to join Newcastle United, Emery could do with bringing in another versatile midfielder, and the Sporting star certainly fits the bill in that regard, given that he is capable of playing on both wings and in attacking midfield.

Once lauded as “fabulous” by former coach Filipe Celikkaya, the 24-year-old also played a major role in Sporting CP’s back-to-back Liga Portugal title triumphs in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, regularly chipping in with goals and assists.

Season

League appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

27

8

2024-25

30

7

That said, it would be a risk to sign Catamo, given that he is unproven in one of Europe’s top leagues, and with Villa known to be treading a fine line PSR-wise, it may be better to only bring in Jackson, who could set them back £65m.

Luke Littler has emerged as one of the best-known sportsman in the UK after turning the darting world upside down.

Making his World Championship debut in 2023, the teenager is already a Triple Crown winner, lifting both the World Championship and World Matchplay in 2025, on top of his Premier League triumph in 2024.

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With plenty of media duties for Littler to abide by on a regular basis, he is questioned on numerous topics, including football.

A huge Manchester United supporter, Littler was asked for his top five Premier League players recently and included some stars from rival sides Liverpool and Manchester City.

5 Eberechi Eze Arsenal

Arguably a surprise inclusion in the list despite a wonderful 2024/25 season with Crystal Palace is Eberechi Eze.

The England international helped the Eagles win the FA Cup with a victory over Manchester City, a team Littler won’t be fond of due to his Red Devils ties.

Eze’s fine form in the final third as an attacking midfielder saw him score eight goals and provide eight assists in the Premier League. Those incredible performances were enough to earn him a big-money move to boyhood club, Arsenal, during the summer.

4 Bruno Guimaraes Newcastle United

Another name in Littler’s list that may catch some off guard is Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

The Brazilian did help the Magpies qualify for the Champions League, defeating the Red Devils both home and away. Guimaraes scored in the 4-1 win for Newcastle over Ruben Amorim’s side at St James’ Park in April.

3 Bruno Fernandes Manchester United

Littler had to include Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes in his list, with the Portugal international having a standout season despite the overall struggles at Old Trafford.

Fernandes scored 19 goals and registered 19 assists in all competitions, helping United to the Europa League final, while also lifting the Nations League with Portugal.

2 Rodri Manchester City

Coming in at number two is Manchester City star midfielder Rodri, who missed large parts of the 2024/25 season through injury.

Littler highlighted the fact that the Spaniard is a Ballon d’Or winner, and his absence from Pep Guardiola’s side was huge, with City struggling without their main midfielder.

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Despite Littler being a United fan, he had to name rival Mohamed Salah as his top Premier League star following his unbelievable season for Liverpool.

The Egyptian King broke records in 2024/25 as the Reds won the title, with Salah scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists in the top flight. The first name in Littler’s list, it’s hard to argue against him when it comes to the Liverpool star being the best in the Premier League.

Pakistan overcame a deficit of 421 but South Africa’s target of 58 was little more than a formality

Danyal Rasool06-Jan-2025

South Africa marked their qualification for the WTC final in style, romping to a ten-wicket win over Pakistan. It is their seventh successive Test win, and came after two and a half days of toil with the ball before they finally prised Pakistan out for 478 in the third innings. A valiant century from Pakistan captain Shan Masood and numerous other contributions forced South Africa to bat again as the visitors overcame the second-highest first-innings deficit in Test history. However, the target – 58 – was little more than a formality, and South Africa took 7.1 overs to knock it off.But Pakistan made them wait for the win. When South Africa enforced the follow-on leading by 421 on Sunday afternoon, they did not anticipate having to bowl another 122.1 overs. Masood, unbeaten overnight on 102, carried on and tried to rebuild after a mammoth 205-run opening stand with Babar Azam. South Africa were frustrated for large parts of the day, most notably during an 88-run stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha in the afternoon. But Keshav Maharaj, who had been denied for most of the day, found the breakthrough, and regular wickets after that ensured a finish was on in the late-evening sunshine.Related

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Earlier in the day, Marco Jansen got nightwatcher Khurram Shahzad out early on before Rabada cleaned up Kamran Ghulam. Maharaj more or less bowled through the entire session, interrupted only when he switched ends at one point. His variations in pace and flight, as well as a ball that continued to turn, posed the most significant threat to the batters, but the wickets came to pace.Shahzad had done his job and never quite looked equipped to carry on too long. When a length ball from Jansen grew too big on him, he chipped it straight to Maharaj at point. Ghulam never quite appeared to settle, keeping the slip cordon interested throughout his innings. He should have been on his way without scoring when, in the same over as Shahzad fell, he slashed at a wide one but it burst through David Bedingham’s hands at first slip.Kyle Verreynne celebrates the key wicket of Mohammad Rizwan•AFP/Getty Images

That wicket was always coming though. Rabada’s increasing frustration at his wicketlessness and general indiscipline – he bowled another four no-balls this morning – was mounting. Just after overstepping, he found a beauty that nipped back off the seam into Ghulam, pegging back his middle stump. It was an excellent way to bring up his 50th Test wicket at Newlands, with the roar that followed it making clear how much it meant to him.Saud Shakeel and Masood continued to make South Africa work for each scalp, and yet South Africa could have had one more before lunch. Kwena Maphaka squared Shakeel up with a lovely delivery that straightened as it hit the pad, only for South Africa to opt against a review. As Shakeel received extensive treatment for the blow, Hawk-Eye showed it was hitting leg stump.Masood’s vigil at the crease ended in somewhat contentious circumstances. Maphaka got one to shape away off the seam that kept low before cannoning into the batter’s front pad. Umpire Nitin Menon felt it was missing off stump, but when South Africa reviewed, Hawk-Eye showed it hitting. It prompted a furious response from Masood, whose protests continued all the way along his slow walk off the crease and into the dressing room.It capped a bright first hour post lunch for South Africa. Shakeel had been dispensed with shortly after play resumed in much the same way he fell in the first innings: nicking off into the slips while drove at Rabada. With Masood departing, there was a danger Pakistan might crumple in a heap, as they have tended to recently.David Bedingham made short work of South Africa’s victory target•AFP/Getty Images

But Agha and Rizwan rebuilt once more. They wore off the sheen of the second new ball and kept the strike turning over. There were just three fours in the first 55 runs of the partnership as Pakistan looked to milk the tiring bowlers, but when Mulder erred, Agha was quick to put him away for two fours in three balls.The two carried on as Pakistan wiped out the deficit, but soon Rizwan chipped Maharaj to short cover, precisely where Bavuma had placed a fielder for the shot, and South African nerves began to loosen once again.Agha, having been reprieved by DRS, fell quickly after – two runs shy of his half-century – when a Maharaj delivery ripped and bounced, drawing a sharp catch for Aiden Markram in the slips. Mir Hamza came out and had a bit of fun, including a heave back over the bowler’s head for the only six of the innings. But it wasn’t built to last. Aamer Jamal reverse-swept Maharaj to slip before Rabada wrapped the innings up, and Bedingham and Markram sprinted off the field.Six years ago, at this very ground, Pakistan’s third innings ended on the third evening, with South Africa needing 41 to wrap the series up. Stumps were called, with the game concluding on the fourth morning.This time around, the South Africa openers did not let the match go into the next day. Bedingham provided a shot in the arm with an eye-catching little knock – an unbeaten 47 off 30 – that ensured it took South Africa just 43 balls to seal a win that, despite a very long wait in the field, was ultimately routine.

Paul Pogba was seen praising Monaco debutant Ansu Fati after the forward came off the bench to score twice and inspire a 5-2 comeback win against Metz in Ligue 1. The French midfielder told Fati he had foreseen his impact as a super sub, with the attacker joking that Pogba must have magical powers.

Fati's role in Monaco's 5-2 win over Metz

Fati came on as a half-time substitute and made an instant impact, scoring within a minute by tapping in Lamine Camara’s cut-back. He struck again soon after, heading in Krepin Diatta’s precise delivery to put the game beyond Metz. The match marked Fati’s Ligue 1 debut, while Pogba is still awaiting his first competitive appearance after coach Adi Hutter confirmed at the start of the season that neither player was fit to start for Monaco.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPAFPPogba's prediction about Fati

Pogba met Fati after the game in the clubs dressing room where he explained in detail to Fati about his accurate prediction. He explains to Fati: “Listen I saw everything. I said Ansu is going to come in and score two goals.”

Fati, who then confirms this with the cameraman, says: "He’s a wizard!"

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Getty Images SportFati's comments after the game and challenges up ahead

Fati said his two goals against Metz helped him and the team regain confidence after their recent loss to Club Brugge in the Champions League. He now hopes his loan spell at Monaco can serve as a launchpad to revive his career after a series of injuries stalled his progress at Barcelona. Monaco are set to travel to take on Lorient and will hope a rejuvenated Fati can help them to challenge Paris Saint-Germain for the Ligue 1 title.