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West Ham chiefs are looking to back new manager Nuno Espírito Santo with key additions in January as they attempt to stave off the looming threat of relegation.

The Hammers were gifted a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal start to the Premier League season just before this international break, winning back-to-back home games for the first time since October last year against Newcastle and Burnley.

While the two wins provide plenty of encouragement for Nuno after inheriting a squad bereft of confidence and form, reports suggest that the east Londoners will look to January for much-needed reinforcements to bolster their head coach’s squad.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

According to Sky Sports, Nuno has been told that funds will be available for West Ham to spend when the window reopens, and it is believed they’d ideally like a new defender, midfielder and forward.

With Niclas Fullkrug poised to leave West Ham in January, following a lacklustre spell marred by injuries and underwhelming form when available, it is more likely than not that a striker will be arriving at Rush Green, with Fabrizio Romano confirming their intention to sign one.

Romano also said recently that West Ham are in the mix to sign Man United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo amid his links to Napoli, so a new midfielder remains on the cards, but there are now suggestions that a winger could come in too.

West Ham could strike 'cut-price' January move for Adama Traoré

Indeed, according to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham have been handed the opportunity to secure Adama Traoré on a bargain deal in January, with Fulham willing to accept a cut-price offer rather than lose the winger for free next summer.

Traore is in the final year of his contract and is not going to agree a new deal at Fulham, meaning January is their last chance to cash in if they sell him. The 29-year-old’s contract situation leaves the Cottagers vulnerable to low-ball bids, with Nuno apparently keen to reunite with a player he previously transformed at Wolves.

Before Nuno joined the Hammers, he tried to reunite with Traore at Nottingham Forest too, highlighting his long-standing admiration for the Spain international.

That being said, the forward has never quite reached the same heights he once hit under Nuno’s tutelage at Molineux, which included a failed spell at Barcelona.

During his best Premier League campaign to date, Traore bagged 13 goal contributions in 37 appearances for Wolves back in 2019/2020, finishing that campaign as their best-performing player on average whilst completing a seismic five successful take-ons per 90 (WhoScored).

Traore has enjoyed flashes of brilliant form at Craven Cottage too, with Marco Silva calling him an “almost unstoppable” player on his day.

Searching for a much-needed centre-back, Liverpool are now reportedly prepared to take a key step towards their attempt to sign Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund.

Their chase to sign the Bundesliga defender comes as no surprise. Arne Slot was left with little choice but to play Andy Robertson centre-back in an attempt to rest both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate against Crystal Palace. The season-ending injury to Giovanni Leoni left the Reds with just three senior centre-backs and only compiled their current misery.

Things could have been so different had they signed Marc Guehi, of course, but those at Anfield now face a battle to land his signature for free next summer. Missing out on the Crystal Palace star a year on from coming within hours of securing his arrival would be an undeniable blow.

Six defeats in seven games have exposed Liverpool’s defensive problems so soon after missing out on Guehi in the summer and they must find a solution in 2026.

What certainly doesn’t help is the contract situation of Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman is yet to sign a new deal and is on course to leave Anfield as a free agent in the summer. Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk will be into the final year of his deal at the same time – sparking a potential crisis for the Reds.

Preparations are seemingly underway for such a scenario, with names such as Dayot Upamecano recently mentioned as reported targets, but replacing both Konate and Van Dijk would almost be an impossible task.

One player who holds similar attributes to Van Dijk, however, is Schlotterbeck. The Dortmund defender has caught Liverpool’s eye and Michael Edwards is now ready to take a key step towards his signature.

Liverpool preparing to match Schlotterbeck demand

As reported by Bild in Germany and relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are now prepared to match Schlotterbeck’s wage demands.

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The 25-year-old has reportedly rejected Dortmund’s €8m-a-year (£7m) contract offer and wants to earn in the region of €14m-a-year (£13m) instead, which would be up from his current €5m-a-year (£4m) deal.

That’s something that the German club are yet to match, but something that Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are ready to hand the defender.

Money talks on the European stage and Liverpool will hope that proves true in the summer as Schlotterbeck continues to impress.

Minutes

450

810

Progressive Passes

7

6.22

Successful Aerial Duels

1.60

5.11

Ball Recoveries

5.60

2.33

Whilst there will be concerns over Schlotterbeck’s struggles in the air, his passing range more than makes up for that. Completing seven progressive passes per-90 so far this season, the Dortmund star would solve Liverpool’s build-up problem almost instantly.

Described as “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Liverpool should go all out for Schlotterbeck in 2025. Not only is he good enough to replace Konate, but he could even become their Van Dijk heir in the coming years.

Why Arne Slot was left stunned in Liverpool press conference before Aston Villa

Both Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya were fined after their teams, Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians (MI) respectively, maintained slow over-rates during their IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 face-off in Ahmedabad on Sunday night.The game got off to a late start because of unseasonal rain in Ahmedabad just after the toss, which brought into effect the tweaked playing conditions of the tournament, allowing two hours of additional time to complete a full game, but the slow over-rates ended up pushing the finish time further.As it was PBKS’ second over-rate offence of the season, Iyer was fined INR 24 lakh, while Hardik, for his team’s third such offence, was fined INR 30 lakh. The rest of the members of the PBKS playing group were each fined either INR 6 lakh or 25% of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser, while those numbers went up to INR 12 lakh and 50% for MI.Despite this being MI’s third over-rate offence, Hardik will not have to serve a suspension, as he had to at the end of IPL 2024, which forced him to miss the first match of IPL 2025, since that rule was amended ahead of the ongoing season.PBKS rode on Iyer’s 41-ball 87 not out to knock MI out of the tournament, and took them to their first IPL final since 2014, where they will meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3. With neither PBKS nor RCB – both in the mix since the inaugural season in 2008 – having won the tournament to date, we will have a new IPL champion come Tuesday night.

Tottenham Hotspur defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha scored his third goal for the club in their 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at home on Saturday night.

The Portugal international rescued a point for his team with a cultured finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after a lay-off from Pape Matar Sarr, and it is safe to say that he enjoyed it.

Palhinha raced away to the corner, shirt ripped off, to celebrate with the Spurs fans, although some may argue that he should have taken the ball back to the halfway line to push for a winner in the final seconds.

The Portuguese ace has been a strong addition to the squad since his loan move from Bayern Munich in the summer, averaging 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League, per Sofascore.

Palhinha, who has won 65% of his duels in the top-flight this season, is a defensive enforcer at the base of the midfield, but he has added goals to his game in recent weeks.

Whilst he will hope to continue his fine form and go on to be remembered as a great midfielder for the club, he will never be the silky and elegant operator that Luka Modric was in the middle of the park.

Where Luka Modric ranks among Tottenham's all-time midfielders

Tottenham have had some terrific talents in midfield throughout their history. From the likes of Paul Gascoigne and Glen Hoddle to Christian Eriksen and Moussa Dembele.

In terms of what they achieved in their careers as a whole, Modric may well have the right to be called the best central midfielder to ever play for the club, even if his best performances came after he left North London.

The main reason for that is that he is the only central midfielder in the club’s history, whilst at Spurs or not, to have won the Ballon d’Or. In 2018, the Croatia international was crowned the best player in the world, six years after switching London for Madrid.

As you can see in the post above, the midfield maestro saw off competition from Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award that year.

Modric is also the most decorated player in the history of Real Madrid, having won 28 trophies in 13 seasons before his move to AC Milan this summer.

It is not just his accomplishments for Real Madrid and Croatia that make him arguably the best midfielder in Tottenham history, though, as he also delivered 17 goals and 24 assists in 160 matches during his time in England, per Transfermarkt.

Modric was a wizard in the middle of the park for Spurs. He glided across the pitch and used his energy and quality to unpick defences and provide moments of magic for fans to enjoy.

Palhinha is not that kind of midfielder. He is more of a destroyer at the base of the midfield. However, Thomas Frank does have another star who could be the club’s next Modric in the making.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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Before his exit from North London, former chairman Daniel Levy sanctioned the signing of attacking midfielder Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for a fee of £51m. The early signs are that they may have found their next Modric.

Why Xavi Simons could be the next Luka Modric for Spurs

Unlike Palhinha, the Netherlands international is a silky and technical midfielder who is a joy to watch when he is at his best. Supporters have already had plenty of glimpses of that early on in his Spurs career, even if he has yet to score a goal.

When an attacking midfielder arrives for £51m with the reputation that Simons had, it is understandable for fans to expect goals and assists instantly. Particularly given that he produced 21 goals and 21 assists in two seasons with RB Leipzig, per Sofascore.

However, the 22-year-old star is finding his way into English football and within Thomas Frank’s system, which means that it is going to take time for him to show the very best of his ability.

Most of Simons’ outings in a Spurs shirt to date have come on the left flank, but it could be in a central midfield role where Frank is able to get the best out of him.

The Dutchman keeps wanting to drift inside to take the ball in central positions so that he can drive at the defence and make things tick in midfield, but then Destiny Udogie is left as the only player holding the width on the left.

His statistics in a left wing position also suggest that he would far better in the middle of the park, as he ranks highly among his positional peers in a host of statistics that you would expect a central-based player to excel in.

25/26 Premier League

Xavi Simons p90

Percentile rank vs wingers

xG

0.14

Top 48%

xA

0.19

Top 25%

Assists

0.51

Top 11%

Chances created

2.02

Top 7%

Accurate long passes

3.54

Top 3%

Long pass accuracy

77.8%

Top 13%

Successful dribbles

1.52

Top 30%

Successful passes

33.37

Top 20%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Simons has impressive output as a creative player and as a passer, whilst getting into goalscoring positions and dribbling past players are not two of his standout attributes.

This suggests that playing the Dutchman in the midfield three, possibly on the left, with a natural winger on the left for him to link up with could get the best out of the summer signing.

Simons was described as “tactically flexible” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, and Frank should make use of that flexibility by attempting to mould him into his own version of Modric.

The former Paris Saint-Germain starlet has the technical quality, elegance, creativity, and passing qualities to emulate the Croatian in North London, as another central midfielder who could be a joy to watch for supporters.

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He may not go on to win the Ballon d’Or, although you never know, but Simons has the potential to be a truly exciting player for Tottenham in the middle of the park, rather than out on the wing.

There has been a twist in Rangers' manager hunt as Steven Gerrard has once again emerged as favourite to take charge at Ibrox Stadium, days after he pulled out of the race for the head coach's role. After Rangers parted ways with Russell Martin earlier this month, Gerrard was poised to return to Glasgow and he even held talks with the club hierarchy, but he later withdrew his name.

Gerrard pulled out after holding talks with Rangers officials

After a disastrous start to the 2025-26 campaign, which saw Rangers winning one out of their first seven Premiership matches, the Scottish giants parted ways with ex-MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton manager Martin, only a few months after he took charge at Ibrox. Martin, who was once considered to be a perfect fit at the club due to his ball-playing philosophy, quickly fell out of favour with the fans once the new season started. The fans wanted the manager out of the club after just one month in charge, as in September, they had publicly showcased their opposition by unfurling banners at Ibrox, displaying their wish to see the coach leave the club.   

Rangers' 1-1 draw with Falkirk just before the international break proved to be the last straw as the 39-year-old English coach was shown the door. Soon after Martin's departure, Liverpool icon Gerrard emerged as the favourite candidate to take charge of the club and return to Glasgow after four years. He even flew down from the Middle East to hold talks with Rangers officials and was in advanced talks, only to later withdraw his name from the race as he felt that the time was not right to return to football management. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGerrard back to being favourite to manager Rangers

Days after turning down the offer, Gerrard has reemerged as the favourite to take charge of Rangers. According to , the former England star has become the bookie's favourite to manage the Gers. , however, also claims that despite being the bookie's favourite, Gerrard is unlikely to be in contention any more and he has already flown back to Bahrain. On Wednesday morning, Gerrard's odds were as high as 20/1 with William Hill. 

Spokesperson of William Hill, John Hill, told : "Despite ruling himself out of the job just a few days ago, Steven Gerrard has been heavily backed in our next Rangers manager market this morning. Gerrard is now just evens to return to Ibrox for a second spell in charge."

Premier League legend has encouraged Gerrard to take Rangers job

Amid the drama over Rangers' manager hunt, Premier League and Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer shared advice for Gerrard as he urged the Reds icon to ignore the football cliche. 

In a chat with , Shearer said: "I don't know Steven's tax situation with him being back in the UK and he can only answer that. There is that 'never go back' saying but if he wants to get back to management, he knows what it's like up there, he's done it and been successful before. He's a huge name in football. I don't think Celtic are that great either. Hearts are top of the SPFL at the moment so that tells you that Celtic aren't a great team either. Steven, or whoever goes into that role may fancy their chances and say it's worth the opportunity and worth going up there to compete. Rangers are miles off it at the minute and it's no surprise that Russell lost his job. The fans were going mad up there and it's not nice to see because of the human behind it and at the end of it. That's what you have to think of but you also know the score when you go into management – if you don't win games, you'll get sacked. The Rangers job will be a brilliant one for whoever takes over."

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Getty Images SportWho will become Rangers' next boss?

Per SunSport, former Gers star Kevin Muscat is tipped to become the next Rangers head coach. The Australian, who played for the Scottish giants in the early 2000s for a year, is poised to make a comeback after more than two decades. Former Manchester United coaches Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick are also among the contenders to take charge at Ibrox, although Muscat remains the favourite.   

Toss Just like 17 years ago at the first-ever IPL match, RCB won the toss and asked KKR to bat first with rain and dew not ruled out at the IPL 2025 opener. RCB were hopeful of not allowing a repeat of a blowout on that night when Brendon McCullum set the tournament alight. This was the first time these two teams were kicking off the IPL season since 2008.Defending champions KKR had a new captain, and wore a new look, with at least the official team sheet not slating Sunil Narine as the opening batter. Wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock and left-arm quick Spencer Johnson made their KKR debuts, edging out Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Anrich Nortje, who was nevertheless named in the list of substitutes. Whether KKR were going to open with Narine was going to be revealed in earnest.RCB’s new captain, Rajat Patidar, got off to an auspicious start, calling correctly at the toss. He didn’t quite remember the names of the possible Impact Players, but made what is expected to be the beneficial call in evening games in T20 cricket: chase. However, there was a new aid for the sides defending – a ball change they can claim after the tenth over of the second innings.RCB handed caps to Phil Salt, who represented KKR last year, and Tim David, let go by Mumbai Indians. Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya were their spinners, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had a minor injury, missed out. RCB instead went with the left-arm pace of Yash Dayal.Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt) 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5 Venkatesh Iyer, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Varun Chakaravarthy, 11 Spencer Johnson/Anrich Nortje, 12 Vaibhav AroraSubstitutes: Anrich Nortje, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Luvnith SisodiaRoyal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rajat Patidar (capt), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Tim David, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Rasikh Salam, 9 Josh Hazlewood, 10 Yash Dayal, 11 Suyash SharmaSubstitutes: Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinandan Singh, Manj Bhandage, Romario Shepherd, Swapnil Singh

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Mesmo com o susto causado pela saída ainda no primeiro tempo do jogo contra o Cuiabá, neste sábado (10), pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, Renato Augusto não deve se tornar novamente um problema para o Corinthians, por conta da parte física. O jogador sofreu somente um desconforto na panturrilha e deixou o gramado para não forçar e agravar a situação. 

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O meia, que já teve duas lesões no joelho nesta temporada, é um dos grandes pilares da equipe, acenando até mesmo a ‘Renatodependência’ quando não está à disposição. Tanto que o problema sofrido neste fim de semana é o reflexo da aceleração para que o camisa 8 se recuperasse a tempo de atuar contra o Atlético-MG, no último dia 31 de maio, quando o Timão jogava a sua classificação às quartas de final da Copa do Brasil.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração! 

O desejo em ter Renato Augusto no confronto decisivo diante do Galo fez com que o cronograma de recuperação do meio-campista fosse mais intenso. E, se por um lado ele conseguiu retornar a ajudar a equipe no triunfo diante dos mineiros, a conta chegou 10 dias depois com o desgaste muscular na região ocorrido neste fim de semana. 

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+ Ruan Oliveira entra no segundo tempo e evita derrota do Corinthians contra o Cuiabá

Renato iniciou o tratamento com gelo na região da panturrilha ainda nos banco de reservas. E em uma avaliação inicial do departamento médico o problema não mostrou ser preocupante. De toda forma, o jogador passará por exames de imagem na terça-feira (13), quando o elenco corintiano retomará as atividades no CT Joaquim Grava, após dois dias de folga no domingo (11) e segunda-feira (12).

Os próximos 10 dias serão sem calendário de jogos para os times brasileiros, por conta das datas que a Fifa reserva para os jogos entre seleções. Assim, o meio-campista terá tempo para se condicionar fisicamente e não se tornar novamente um desfalque para o Corinthians na temporada.

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In a deal that would see the 49ers hand Daniel Farke a solution to his attacking problems, Leeds United are now reportedly closing in on an experienced striker.

Farke still keen to add attacking additions

After his admission that Leeds’ frontline is not quite ready for the Premier League, those at Elland Road have turned towards the transfer market once again for Farke this summer. The Whites have already welcomed six fresh faces, but have now set their sights on some attacking reinforcements to match the likes of Jaka Bijol, who have already boosted their backline.

With one month to go until the transfer window slams shut, just who arrives to take Farke’s attack to Premier League level is the big question. Names such as Rodrigo Muniz and Beto were among the headlines earlier in the window, but it now seems as though Leeds will be forced to look elsewhere.

To that end, Liverpool’s Ben Doak has reportedly emerged as an option. The 19-year-old winger enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Middlesbrough last season and is now free to leave Anfield for around £20m this month.

What’s more, names such as Jonathan Rowe have also been mentioned – a name that Leeds fans will be familiar with thanks to his time at Norwich City.

The England U21 international has reportedly been identified as a key target by those in Yorkshire, as they weight up whether to match his £17m price-tag. Alas, before either of those young stars arrive, Leeds’ focus looks to have turned towards a veteran striker who has scored over 200 career goals.

Leeds closing in on Taremi

According to Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by TeamTalk, Leeds are now closing in on signing Mehdi Taremi from Inter Milan after fending off competition from West Ham United and Nottingham Forest to take pole position for his signature.

Given that Farke wants Premier League-level quality, Leeds’ pursuit of Taremi should come as no surprise. The 33-year-old has scored over 200 career goals and featured for the likes of Porto and, most recently, Inter Milan.

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With three goals and nine assists to his name in all competitions last season too, it’s clear that Taremi can still make an impact at the top level – even if that comes as a creator more than a goalscorer these days.

Even in more of a squad role at Inter last season, Taremi still earned impressive praise from the legendary Clarence Seedorf, who said after the forward helped his side defeat Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final: “He was attacking, defending, and he even won one against Lamine Yamal. He really made a difference. Mehdi has been underrated here [at Inter] all year.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are veering towards the close of play in the transfer market and could now be set to make a double swoop to land two stars from another Premier League club, according to a report.

Wolves defeated by Celta Vigo in pre-season

Pre-season has now come to an end for Wolves and their first few fixtures have served as a valuable tool to restore match fitness, even if the Old Gold have lost four and drawn two in the friendlies.

Nevertheless, new signing David Moller Wolfe shared his pride after making his debut for the club in a 1-0 defeat against Celta Vigo at Molineux after a £10 million move from AZ Alkmaar.

He stated: “I’m very proud. It felt incredibly good to put on the shirt for the first time and go out and meet the fans and everything. Sadly, we didn’t get the result we wanted, but we had some good moments there for sure and we’ll be ready for next week.”

With Manchester City on the horizon next weekend, Wolves fans will hope new signings are imminent and Nantes forward Matthis Abline is on the Old Gold’s radar as they aim to strengthen across their front four positions.

Intriguingly, Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza has held talks with Wolves, and it remains to be seen if discussions accelerate after both sides locked horns over the weekend.

Wolves’ completed signings this summer

Fer Lopez

Arrived from Celta Vigo

Jhon Arias

Arrived from Fluminense

Jorgen Strand Larsen

Arrived from Celta Vigo

David Moller Wolfe

Arrived from AZ Alkmaar

Vitor Pereira has recruited a high calibre of player to compete for a place in his first-team squad. However, the transfer window is seldom a straightforward environment to do business, though he is now plotting an exciting double deal before the close of play.

Wolves make contact to sign Chelsea pair Axel Disasi and David Datro Fofana

According to Caughtoffside, Wolves have made a formal approach to sign Chelsea duo Axel Disasi and David Datro Fofana, with many formulas being explored to lower the potential price including swap deals and performance-based incentives.

Napoli and Rennes will provide competition for the former, who is deemed to be worth between £25 million to £30 million at Stamford Bridge. On the other hand, Stuttgart and Nice want to sign Fofana, and it may cost £15 million to tempt him away from West London.

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Disasi spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa and made ten appearances as they secured Europa League football. Meanwhile, Fofana netted twice in nine outings at Goztepe before injury cut his campaign short.

Wolves have made contact to gather information over their availability, and it now remains to be seen whether Chelsea would be open to offloading both players.

Time is of the essence in the West Midlands to bring players through the door at Molineux and it appears that Pereira is hard at work to make that a reality.

Chopra will lead UAE at the ICC CWC League 2 tri-series in Oman in November

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2024

Muhammad Waseem had been UAE’s ODI captain since March 2023•Getty Images

Muhammad Waseem has stepped down as UAE men’s ODI captain after 26 matches in charge between 2023 and 2024. Wicketkeeper-batter Rahul Chopra has been named the new captain, and will lead UAE at the next round of ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) League 2 games in Oman against the hosts and Netherlands in early November.”I have decided to step down as captain to concentrate on my batting in the ODI format,” Waseem, who remains part of the ODI squad, said. “My best wishes are with the new captain, I will be giving him my full support.”Chopra, the new captain, has played just seven ODIs to go with six T20Is.Waseem, the 30-year-old top-order batter, took over the ODI captaincy from CP Rizwan during the 2019-23 CWC League 2 for UAE’s match against Nepal in March 2023. Under him, UAE won just seven ODIs and lost 19, with Waseem the standout performer for the team in the matches they won – he averaged 64.28 in those seven games, hitting his only century in the format,119 vs Papua New Guinea, and three half-centuries in those games.In the 19 they lost, Waseem’s average was 21.10, closer to his career number of 25.44.UAE are currently playing the 2024-27 edition of the CWC League 2, where they lost their last game – Waseem’s final game as captain – to Namibia by eight wickets after folding for 190. UAE are bottom of the eight-team table at this stage after playing seven games – of which they have won only one – which might have contributed to Waseem’s decision to step down.Waseem also remains a regular member of UAE’s T20I team, and played his part in the team winning the tri-series in Namibia earlier this month, where USA were the third team. Waseem top-scored in the tournament with 159 runs in four innings as UAE won three games and lost one to finish on top.