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Michael Beale picked up his second win as Sunderland manager to start 2024 off for the Black Cats in great fashion, the Championship promotion hopefuls comfortably overcoming Preston North End 2-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Beale's men were clinical in front of goal instead of spurning chances in this encounter, Alex Pritchard's stunning opener early on setting the pace whilst Nazariy Rusyn looked relieved scoring his first Sunderland strike at the tenth time of asking to secure the three points.

Pritchard coming back into the starting eleven was a masterstroke of a selection decision by Beale, replacing an unfit Patrick Roberts in the lineup and playing the role of a livewire throughout for his team in the win over the Lilywhites.

Alex Pritchard's game vs Preston in numbers

Although the Sunderland number 21 was put down as a winger when the teamsheet was announced, Pritchard was far more comfortable drifting into pockets of space centrally in the game and exploiting a lack of Preston shirts closing him down.

Drifting into a free part of the Stadium of Light turf allowed the experienced midfielder to open the scoring in the game, the 30-year-old midfielder almost egged on to shoot from distance by the Preston shirts failing to pick him up.

Expertly taken by Pritchard – a wonderful swerving effort tricking Freddie Woodman in the North End net – the goal was surprisingly the former Huddersfield Town's man first strike of the season.

The attacking midfielder was lively away from just this wondergoal, successful with three dribble attempts in the game – as per Sofascore – when advancing forward alongside getting stuck in when needed with three ground duels won.

This stellar individual display against Ryan Lowe's Lilywhites means he will more than likely get more first-team opportunities in the weeks to come, an infrequent starting player under the previous managerial reign of Tony Mowbray.

Minutes Played

85

Touches

55

Accurate Passes

32/39 (82%)

Crosses

0/5

Shots on target

2

Dribbles

3/5

Duels Won

3/6

Possession Lost

16x

One player who has been a colossus all season shone also in the 2-0 win, Pritchard's standout display stealing the headlines but Pierre Ekwah was equally important in helping the Black Cats comfortably beat the visitors from Lancashire.

Pierre Ekwah's performance vs Preston in numbers

Ekwah might not have had an audacious strike up his sleeve in the game, but the current Nottingham Forest transfer target was solid and dictated play from a holding position.

Amassing 71 touches in the game, the Black Cats number 39 only misplaced five passes in total with one of those accurate passes going down as an assist for Pritchard's sensational strike.

The 21-year-old showcased his defensive capabilities in the contest as well, winning six of his seven ground duels to thwart the Lilywhites venturing forward and to help his side keep a clean sheet.

It led to football journalist Andy Tomlinson of the Roker Report handing out an 8/10 rating to Ekwah in his post-match thoughts, stating that the ex-West Ham United youngster was a 'big presence' all over the pitch in the 2-0 win.

Sunderland sit pretty in sixth spot now after that assured victory on their own patch, with a mouth-watering Tyne-Wear Derby up next for Beale's Black Cats in Cup action as a New Year treat.

Canada have named former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch as their new manager.

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• Marsch joined Canada as their manager
• Last managed Leeds in Premier League
• Korea wanted him to replace Klinsmann

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The American, who has been out of work since February 2023 after being sacked by Leeds, will now take charge of the Canada men's national team. His first major assignment as Canada boss will be at the Copa America 2024 where the nation are set to make their debut.

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• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  On Monday, Canada Soccer's CEO and general secretary, Kevin Blue made announcement of Marsch's arrival as he was heard saying: "I’m about to call Jesse Marsch and confirm that he will the next head coach of our Canadian men’s national team. We’ve been working on getting this done and excited on finally having it ready to go."

  Blue then connected with American on a video call where the newly appointed head coach said: "I appreciate so much your trust and belief in me. I assure you I will pay you back at every level. And this team is gonna be something the entire Canadian community is going to be so excited about."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former US assistant coach was linked with a move to South Korea as the Asian side considered appointing him as their new manager as a replacement for Jurgen Klinsmann. Clubs like Monaco, Leicester City and Birmingham City were also reportedly interested in hiring him.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CANADA?

  Canada, under Marsch's leadership, will begin their journey in the Copa America on June 21 in the inaugural fixture of the tournament against reigning champions Argentina.

Brighton and Hove Albion could be set to lose one of their first-team stars next year, with a fresh report revealing that he’s wanted by a high-profile club in the summer.

Brighton's recent departures

The Seagulls sanctioned the sales of 21 players during the previous window on either a permanent or loan basis, with some of the biggest names to leave for good being the likes of Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez, but there could soon be more following in their footsteps.

Roberto De Zerbi has Danny Welbeck, James Milner and Adam Lallana who will have all reached the expiration of their deals at the end of the current season (Brighton contracts), so they are likely to be heading for the exit door should they not be offered the chance to extend their stay.

At The Amex, Kaoru Mitoma first joined the club back in 2021 and he’s since gone on to make a total of 60 appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Mitoma statistics), and the left-winger was recently rewarded for his efforts by putting pen to paper on fresh terms.

Back in October, Japan’s international signed an improved contract which means he is set to stay at the club until at least 2027, as per the above outlet, but despite him committing his long-term future just two months ago, that hasn’t stopped the 26-year-old from emerging as a target for an admirer in the Premier League.

Man City interested in Kaoru Mitoma

According to Spanish reports (via The Hard Tackle), Mitoma is of interest to Man City ahead of 2024. The Sky Blues are keen to strike a deal for the forward upon the conclusion of the campaign, with Pep Guardiola being a huge admirer of his target.

Brighton have set a price tag of €70-80m (£59-68m) in order to sanction the sale of their prized asset, so it’ll be interesting to see whether this is a deal that comes to fruition.

Brighton need to keep "beautiful talent" in Mitoma

In the Premier League this season, Mitoma has racked up seven contributions (four assists and three goals) in 13 appearances, so considering his excellent current form alongside the positive influence he has on the side, Brighton need to do everything that they possibly can to retain his services.

The Kawasaki native, who is sponsored by Puma, has recorded 23 shots over the course of the term which is more than any other of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Brighton statistics), highlighting how he stands out in the final third compared to his peers.

De Zerbi’s “beautiful talent”, as hailed by journalist Josh Bunting, is even a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the grass since the start of his career, including three roles across the frontline and two in the midfield, so it’s a no-brainer of a decision to keep him in the building beyond next summer.

Arsenal seem to be carrying on their form from last season to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, as Mikel Arteta’s side sit just one point below the summit after 12 games played.

The Gunners narrowly missed out on claiming their first Premier League title since 2004 last term, gracefully falling short to eventual treble winners Manchester City, who obliterated everyone in their path on their road to glory.

Aside from the initial disappointment of not claiming the title, the north Londoners took a lot away from the 2022/23 calendar, which saw them finish in the top two for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s 2015/16 season.

The progression at Arsenal was traceable both on and off the pitch, as players evolved and the belief within the squad grew thanks to the tireless enthusiasm of Arteta, who went head to head with his former colleague, Pep Guardiola.

Out of all the players that represented the Gunners last season, one stood out as transforming his time at the Emirates in that term in particular, as Granit Xhaka emerged from the smoke as one of the club’s most crucial assets.

How much Arsenal signed Granit Xhaka for

Wenger purchased Xhaka from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2016, welcoming the Swiss international as a 23-year-old in the bid to bolster his side’s options in midfield.

Arsenal were aware of the calibre of central midfielder they were to receive in the Monchengladbach whiz, who had recorded 140 appearances for his prior employers playing in a range of competitions including the German top-flight and the Champions League.

During Xhaka's final season in the Bundesliga, his defiant presence in the squad was highlighted by his stellar average of 2.4 tackles and 2.7 interceptions per game, reinforcing his defensive stability in the engine room.

For those reasons and the demographic of player that Wenger yearned for in his squad, Arsenal handed the German outfit £30m for the 23-year-old's services, making him the third most expensive capture in the club’s history at the time.

Granit Xhaka's career at Arsenal

Not many could have predicted the twists and turns that would prevail from the signing of the Switzerland international, with many sides of his playing style and personality both adored and hated in north London.

Once lauded as a “warrior” by journalist Anu Nande, Xhaka’s combative edge caused him more trouble than good in the early days of his Arsenal career, as highlighted in the table below as the Basel-born gem was consistent with his yellow card tally in the Premier League.

Goals

Assists

Key passes p/g

Tackles p/g

Yellow cards

2

2

1.1

2.4

5

1

7

1

2.1

10

4

2

1.4

1.8

10

1

2

0.5

1.5

10

1

2

0.5

1.6

7

1

2

1.2

1.2

10

7

7

1.3

0.9

5

What is most prominent are the ups and downs of the midfielder’s form, with a drop notable during Unai Emery’s reign, and a rise under Arteta, particularly last season.

The 2019/20 campaign was a particularly difficult one for the £30m man, whose career at the Emirates looked dead and buried when he was booed off the pitch to which he reacted with hostility – ironically while he was the club captain.

Emery stripped the Swiss of captaincy and he was left at rock-bottom, with limited backing from the fans and a lot to prove whilst fighting his own upset at the situation.

The 2022/23 campaign marked an act of moving full circle for Xhaka, who discovered his best form in his final season at Arsenal, where he won back the love and trust of the fans by showing his love for the club through his ability on the pitch.

Arteta trialled handing the 31-year-old a more advanced role in his final campaign, which worked to stellar effect as he recorded his best goal contributions tally in his entire career thanks to being handed the freedom to roam.

Before last term, Xhaka’s highest goal contribution tally in the Premier League was his eight contributions in the 2017/18 campaign, a figure that was smashed out of the park by his seven goals and seven assists in 2022/23 to showcase his effectiveness in the refreshed role.

A change in attitude, a change in role and a change in squad goals had a fundamental impact on the midfielder, enabling him to end his seven years in north London on a high note after experiencing some of the lowest lows earlier in his journey.

Unfortunately for Arsenal, seven years in England was enough for the two-time FA Cup winner, who departed in search of a new challenge and returned to Germany to sign for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for a fee of £21.4m.

What Granit Xhaka is doing now

The Gunners were uplifted after Xhaka’s departure as his exit enabled space to be available in the squad for Declan Rice to arrive, with the Englishman not giving Arteta’s side a need to look back in memory of their departed star.

That being said, what Arsenal do miss is the role that the 31-year-old so sturdily made his own last season, with his ability to break the lines and his presence in the final sorely missed.

After finding his best-suited role at the Emirates, Xabi Alonso has relished in signing the beast that Arteta unearthed in the free-roaming role, as the 6 foot 1 dynamo excels back in the Bundesliga.

Prior to his exit, the Swiss was praised as “phenomenal” by analyst EBL on Twitter X, which has been reinforced by his chart-topping form at Leverkusen in the 2023/24 calendar so far.

As reported by Squawka, no player in Europe’s top seven leagues has made more successful passes into the final third than Xhaka this season, in which the 31-year-old has recorded a magnificent 129 passes.

Back in north London, Arteta is yet to get anything near the best out of his other summer midfielder acquisition, Kai Havertz, which only reminds those at Arsenal of what they are missing in their former hero since his departure.

Average

Rank in Bundesliga

Kai Havertz's PL average

94.84

Top 1%

29.62

92.4%

Top 1%

81.6%

11.82

Top 1%

2.65

101.26

Top 1%

35.80

110.94

Top 1%

46.76

The table above makes for painful reading for the Gunners, who haven’t yet been able to unlock their £65m signing, while their offloaded talent continues to thrive as one of the best in Germany.

Xhaka enjoyed seven eventful years at the Emirates and will always be remembered for his contributions both negative and positive, with the mourning period set to continue for far longer if his form remains at such levels going forward.

Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal continue to sit out to nurse injuries; Mahmudullah to lead

Mohammad Isam25-Oct-2018

Raton Gomes/BCB

Bangladesh have handed maiden call-ups to four uncapped players: Ariful Haque, Mohammad Mithun, Khaled Ahmed and Nazmul Islam in the 15-member squad for the first Test against Zimbabwe in Sylhet.They have left out Kamrul Islam, Rubel Hossain and Nurul Hasan while Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan are still injured. Mahmudullah will lead the side in Shakib’s absence, because of a finger injury. Tamim, meanwhile, is recovering from a wrist injury sustained at the Asia Cup in September.Kamrul and Rubel picked up just one wicket between them on the two-Test tour of West Indies in June-July, and have lost their places to Mustafizur Rahman and Khaled, the 26-year old right-arm fast bowler who has 48 wickets in 20 first-class matches. Khaled also snared his maiden 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket, in Sylhet Division’s victory over Dhaka Metropolis. Nurul, meanwhile, has been left out of despite being one of just two Bangladesh batsmen on tour to make a half-century in the Test series. That means Mushfiqur Rahim will keep wickets.Ariful, who has only played T20Is for Bangladesh, has been picked on the back of a strong domestic showing. Earlier this month, he struck 231 for Rangpur against Rajshahi in a first-class fixture. Mithun, meanwhile, has been picked on the back of his limited-overs form.”The team management were looking for a bowler who could bowl straight stump to stump, which is why we picked [Nazmul Islam] Apu,” said chief selector Minhajul Abedin. “We didn’t consider [Abdur Razzak] Raj on current form and fitness. The management also wanted a batsman who could be a big-hitter at No 7 or 8 and who could also tackle the low bounce, which is why we decided on Ariful.”Tushar Imran, the veteran batsman, hasn’t been considered despite making three first-class centuries this month is because the selectors are building towards the future, according to Abedin. Imran, who debuted in 2002, averages 44 across 163 first-class matches.”We have established batsmen like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah at No 4 and 5 where Tushar usually bats in domestic cricket. We are also looking at some players who can be our future, at least in the next two or three years.”Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Mominul Haque, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Mithun, Khaled Ahmed, Nazmul Islam

Chelsea could soon splash out on a new number nine who has been hailed as a "monster", according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

Chelsea transfer news

It's fair to say that life under Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge has gotten off to a disappointing start, having arrived in the summer with plenty of hope that he could turn things around. Both results and performances haven't been good enough in the Premier League, already giving Chelsea lots of work to do in the top-four battle, and the manager may even find himself under pressure if things don't improve significantly in the coming months.

It may be that Pochettino looks to sign players in the January transfer window, in order for his team to go up a gear, and the attack is undoubtedly the area in most need of surgery, unless Christopher Nkunku immediately hits the ground running on return from injury.

Nicolas Jackson is struggling at the moment, not providing enough ammunition in the final third, and a fresh update suggests Chelsea could look close to home to sign a highly thought of player.

Update on Chelsea links to Ivan Toney

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that Chelsea could look to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney, claiming the Blues will see his proven Premier League status as a big draw:

"It's a good value deal [Santiago Gimenez for £40m] and there's no doubt that will have some appeal, but from what I understand, they would look for somebody more established. Whether that's in European standing or in terms of having Premier League credentials, they want one or the other.

"I think it'd be a massive risk to bring in another player that the fans have little understanding of, and little expectation of, because it's just too hard for players to live up to it.

"They've already got in Nicolas Jackson, a player of promise, he's got that. I said from the moment he came in, he's a good signing, but he cannot be trusted to be Chelsea's main source of goals because he won't deliver enough. There's no history of him scoring enough goals at a high enough level to show that he can carry the burden of being Chelsea's main number nine.

"And we're still in that situation right now. I think that Chelsea's temptation will be to go and spend almost double that amount on Ivan Toney, rather than take another punt on somebody actually fixing their problem."

Toney could be a great signing for Chelsea when he is back available again, having impressed so much for Brentford, making a seamless step up from the Premier League to the Championship.

At 27 years of age, he is right in and around the peak of his powers, with Toney's statistics of 68 goals in 124 appearances for the Bees summing up his prolific threat, and those numbers can surely go up a notch playing in a traditional 'big six' side.

He has been described as a "monster" by Brentford writer Billy Grant, and he possesses the finishing ability and physical expertise to slot straight into Chelsea's attack, especially having already got plenty of Premier League experience under his belt.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino may have received a welcome boost in his hunt for additions in January after it emerged that the Blues had been spoken to regarding the potential availability of one of Europe's brightest young stars.

Chelsea striker links

Despite Chelsea winning four of their last six matches across all competitions, there is no doubt that a missing ingredient in their squad is an elite-level striker who can convert opportunities with regularity at Stamford Bridge.

Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja are the only recognised central striking options on the books in SW6 and have struggled between them to make a desired impact across this term, netting just four goals between them from a combined 16 appearances (Chelsea squad statistics – Transfermarkt).

Unsurprisingly, scoring goals in the Premier League has been a problem for Chelsea once again in 2023/24 and in total, the Blues have just 13 strikes to their name in the English top-flight, placing them as joint-tenth highest scorers in the league alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers, which is not good enough for a side keen to try and stake a claim for continental qualification.

Looking ahead to January, it has become clear that bringing in another forward is on the radar for the Blues as they seek to improve their levels of productivity in the final third. According to 90min, Chelsea have Brentford striker Ivan Toney in their sights and have held talks with his representatives, with the England international believed to be keen on seeking a fresh challenge away from the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford are looking to recoup a fee in the region of over £80 million for Toney and Arsenal are also reported to be hot on his tail – both Chelsea and the Gunners have looked at including players in exchange to try and drive the overall cost of any potential transfer down.

Now, Chelsea have been given an unexpected boost after reports emerged that one of the most exciting goalscorers in European football may be available to move clubs in January.

Benjamin Sesko could now be available

According to a separate transfer update from 90min, Chelsea have been contacted regarding the availability of RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko, as have a host of other clubs.

Intermediaries have also contacted the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle United and Arsenal to convey that the Austria international could be on the market in the New Year, with RB Leipzig believed to be open to selling Sesko for a fee in the region of £40 million.

Benjamin Sesko's goal record in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

13

Goals

6

Assists

0

Sesko, who has previously been labelled as a "machine" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig, has carried a relatively potent goal threat despite playing second-fiddle at times to Lois Openda this term, taking on around 1.4 shots per fixture in the Bundesliga (Sesko statistics – WhoScored).

Nevertheless, a quickfire switch to English football could now be on the cards for the Slovenia international to continue his development, though we will need to wait and see if anything materialises on that front in January.

Newcastle United have their fair share of injury problems at the moment, and Sky Sports man Keith Downie has dropped a key update regarding the prognosis of yet another issue.

Newcastle injuries going from bad to worse

Eddie Howe's side return to Premier League action on Saturday evening, making the trip to a Wolves side who are impressing under manager Gary O'Neil.

It has the potential to be a tricky contest for Newcastle, who continue to battle for another top-four finish, but there is no doubt that they have the quality to pick up all three points at Molineux.

That being said, the Magpies have numerous injury problems to contend with at the moment, with a host of key players unavailable. The likes of Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak are among those who are currently sidelined, and there is also the news that Sandro Tonali is banned for the next ten months.

Now, Howe has been dealt another blow in the fitness department, as things go from bad to worse in the treatment room.

Elliot Anderson injured until Christmas

Taking to X, Downie shared news from Howe's press confernece that midfielder Elliot Anderson could be missing for around two months of action, which would take him right up until Christmas:

"Elliot Anderson facing 8 weeks out with a stress fracture in his back. Jacob Murphy — shoulder dislocation. May need an operation, seeing specialist today. Alex Isak – groin injury & getting scan today. Not anticipated to be too bad."

This is a massive blow for Anderson, who has been really finding his feet this season, proving to be a genuinely reliable squad player who has contributed positively a number of times.

Anderson's stats show that he has featured in all nine Premier League matches to date in 2023/24, registering one assist in that time, and the 20-year-old has also enjoyed an 83.2% pass completion rate.

Former Newcastle chief scout Graham Carr has waxed lyrical over the youngster in the past, comparing him to past greats and saying:

"You can go out and sign as many young players as you want, you will be doing well to get any better than Elliot Anderson. He receives the ball like Peter Beardsley. He kills it and moves it all in one motion. That is a gift. He’s the best young player I have seen in a long time.

"Newcastle haven’t produced anyone like him, in terms of his technical gifts, probably all the way back to Gazza. He plays with a swagger. Every time he got the ball you knew something was going to happen. He always wants to dribble and moves off quickly. He knows he’s good, but there’s no harm in that."

Newcastle

41

Premier League

32

Scotland Under-21s

1

This highlights what a big loss Anderson could be for Newcastle over the next few months, at a point when he was really maturing as a player, but on the plus side, the Magpies have a special talent in their ranks who could be a huge part of the club's future.

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Na partida de seis gols onde Guarani e Cruzeiro ficaram no empate em 3 a 3 na última segunda-feira (9), o lateral-direito Pablo marcou seu primeiro gol pelo Guarani.

Em duas partidas que atuou novamente como atacante, o camisa 17 foi efetivo, concedendo uma assistência contra o CRB e, na última rodada, balançou as redes diante da Raposa ajudando na campanha de recuperação do Bugre que soma 25 pontos e ocupa a 13ª posição na tabela.

‘- Graças a Deus pude fazer um gol ali, mas o mais importante é saber que as coisas sempre acontecem no tempo de Deus, na minha vida nada foi fácil, então só tenho que agradecer a Deus aos meus companheiros de equipe e minha família – disse ainda na saída do gramado do Mineirão.

Pablo foi efetivado como lateral quando retornou ao Guarani no início da temporada, mas voltou a ser aproveitado no ataque com a chegada do técnico Felipe Conceição.

Na Série B, Pablo soma 16 jogos com 16 cruzamentos certos, vice-líder da equipe no quesito, além de uma assistência e um gol marcado. Sob o comando do treinador que substituiu Ricardo Catalá no Guarani foram cinco partidas como titular, se tornando um dos homens de confiança na equipe bugrina.

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After the discipline of Lord’s, the collective brain-fade at Headingley. If Pakistan were undone by good bowling in the first innings on the first day in Leeds, they were undone by their own urges on the third.At least five of their top eight fell to poor strokeplay, one caught at mid-on, another at mid-off, a third down the leg side, a fourth slogging, yet another playing across the line. It was the result, according to the captain, of a combination of factors.”We lacked discipline in batting in both the innings,” Sarfraz Ahmed said. “I think they also bowled well on the first day, but we had to play well in this innings and unfortunately we didn’t bat well as a unit.”A lead of 180-plus put pressure on us and we committed mistakes. And our batting unit is young so they will learn from the mistakes.”Thus in a rush of poor strokes ended a tour of considerable promise and with some gains for Pakistan. It wasn’t thought implausible before Pakistan arrived here that they might leave without a win.And Sarfraz had insisted all along that this would be a tour where they had everything to learn and nothing to lose. In that sense, the progress made by the likes of Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf will have been especially pleasing.”If you see when we came here people thought that we will not win one game but the way we played at Lord’s everything was perfect, our fast bowling was perfect, our batting and fielding were perfect,” Sarfraz said.”It’s disappointing that we had a chance to win the series but unfortunately we didn’t play well here. I am proud of my young team, the way [Mohammad] Abbas is bowling. Shadab is doing well, Faheem did well so really disappointed that we didn’t win but 1-1 is a good result for us.”The problem, as it has been for several years now is that Pakistan’s Test players – such as Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Abbas – will be out of action until October, when they next play the longest format. There are plenty of white-ball commitments until then but developing a Test side that remains in seventh place in that kind of calendar becomes a challenge.”We played our last Test in October so it’s difficult when you play a Test after five or six months,” he said. “Test cricket is a different format, you have to adjust to five-day cricket.”So it’s tough for the Test players, like Abbas who played his last Test in October. It’s tough but as a professional you have to adjust. We didn’t play well in this Test but in the last two Tests we played well. The more you play Test cricket, you get to mature as Test player. Now we have five Tests in UAE [two against Australia and three against NZ], and then we have three in South Africa and that will help us mature.”