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Premier League sides spent big strengthening their respective squads, but neither PSG nor Barca made many moves in the market

The 2025 summer transfer window closed on Monday, bringing an end to a summer of almost endless drama and controversy. Premier League sides spent more money than the other 'Big Five' leagues combined, meaning there's a very real risk of title-challenging teams from La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 becoming feeder clubs for England's elite.

That said, Real Madrid splashed a fair bit of cash remodelling their backline, taking Trent Alexander-Arnold away from Liverpool in the process, but it's not as if the right-back is being missed at Anfield, which bore witness to one of the most remarkable spending sprees in football history.

But who were the big winners of the summer? Below, GOAL grades 10 of the continent's top teams in terms of their summer business…

• FC Bayern
  

  10Bayern Munich | Grade: D-

  Bayern Munich are looking good on the field, but appear to be in utter disarray off it – and a chaotic transfer window is the reason why.

  Depending who you talk to, sporting director Max Eberl has either made a mess of this summer's recruitment strategy – or been hindered by the financial restrictions imposed upon him by the board. Whatever the truth, it's clear that Bayern's squad is, as Eberl admitted, "too thin" for a team with aspirations of winning both the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

  The departures of Kingsley Coman, Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane, Eric Dier and Joao Palhinha make sense in isolation. but not when measured up against the quantity – and quality – of the arrivals.

  As Luis Diaz is already proving, he'll add a lot to the Bayern attack (even the Colombian cost far more than he should have done), while Jonathan Tah represents a fantastic free transfer. However, agreeing to pay Chelsea a €16.5m loan fee for Nicolas Jackson, as well as accepting a €64m obligation to buy, is indicative of the ridiculously high level of desperation that gripped the Bavarians during the closing days of the transfer window.

  Vincent Kompany unquestionably has a very strong starting line-up, one capable of going toe to toe with any of Europe's top teams, but the Belgian is clearly short on numbers in key areas and the issues at boardroom level, coupled with the way in which Bayern missed out on top targets Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade, has rightly set alarm bells ringing at the Allianz Arena.

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  9Barcelona | Grade: D+

  Barcelona remain a club still trying desperately to get back on an even keel after the destabilisation caused by years of gross financial mismanagement. Consequently, this summer was always going to be more about offloading unwanted players than signing new stars. In that context, the Blaugrana have done reasonably well, as they ended up making more money (€37m) than they spent (€29m).  

  Of course, Barca didn't really need a goalkeeper, but Hansi Flick wanted one – so sporting director Deco deserves credit for taking advantage of the ludicrously low buy-out clause in Joan Garcia's Espanyol contract (€29m) to sign one of the best young shot-stoppers in La Liga from their city rivals. The €3m spent on Danish teenager Roony Bardghji could also end up looking like a bargain in a few years' time.

  However, there's no getting away from the fact that ending up with Marcus Rashford after pursuing Nico Williams and Luis Diaz is seriously underwhelming from Barca's perspective. Missing out on Williams was particularly painful, as the Spain international was keen to move to Catalunya. However, he rather understandably pulled the plug on the transfer after Barca refused to insert an exit clause into his contract that would have allowed him to leave if the club failed to register him with La Liga.

  In a further blow for the Blaugrana, Inigo Martinez left for Al-Nassr because Barca promised to release the veteran defender if he received a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia during the summer. As a result, Flick lost one of the key figures from last season's domestic treble win for absolutely nothing.

  So, while the German coach still has some of the most exciting players in the world at his disposal, his squad really isn't any stronger than a year ago.

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  8Paris Saint-Germain | Grade: C

  Paris Saint-Germain unsurprisingly opted against making wholesale changes to a squad that won a treble last season. However, Luis Enrique had two requests.

  Firstly, he wanted another strong, ball-playing centre-back to provide cover for Willian Pacho and Marquinhos, and Illia Zabarnyi certainly fit the bill.

  Secondly, and far more significantly, the coach asked for a new goalkeeper. Gigi Donnarumma may have been utterly integral to PSG's Champions League triumph, but Luis Enrique was never happy with the Italian's distribution of the ball.

  Consequently, he made the controversial call to ditch Donnarumma in favour of Lucas Chevalier, the former Lille No.1 who is far more suited to the role of sweeper-keeper. However, the fact that Donnarumma was promptly picked up by Manchester City means this is a deal that is likely to be scrutinised all season long.

  Still, Luis Enrique is rightly happy with his lot right now and, looking at the window as a whole, perhaps the one disappointment from PSG's perspective is that Randal Kolo Muani's proposed permanent move to Juventus collapsed, meaning the French and European champions had to accept a loan offer from Tottenham to keep him off their roster for another season.

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  7Manchester United | Grade: C+

  Manchester United are obviously still counting the cost of more than a decade of dreadful recruitment, so it's going to be some time before they're back competing for major honours. However, some progress was made during the summer – in the transfer market at least.

  United managed to find new homes for wantaway wingers Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea) and Antony (Real Betis), while they should be officially rid of Rasmus Hojlund next summer, as the Danish striker's loan move to Napoli will become permanent if the Partenopei qualify for next season's Champions League – which they should do easily.

  Former England forwards Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have also been removed from the wage bill but only for a year, and it really wouldn't be a surprise to see both back at Old Trafford at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

  Still, all of the outgoings put United in a position to overhaul their attack, which they've done with the signings of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko – though they've managed just one Premier League goal between them so far and the latter looks worryingly short of fitness and confidence.

  Furthermore, United did nothing to address their glaring issues in midfield (other than keep Kobbie Mainoo against his will) and they really need the inexperienced 23-year-old Belgian Senne Lammens to solve their costly goalkeeping problem.

  Long story short, it could be another testing season for the Old Trafford faithful, whose patience is already being tested by Ruben Amorim and his tactical dogma.

As the top women's leagues prepare to kick off for the 2025-26 season, GOAL reflects on a crazy summer of record-breaking spending

What a fascinating summer transfer window it has been for the women's game. There has been deadline-day drama, record-breaking spending and some huge names on the move – all while the European Championship, Africa Cup of Nations and Copa America were going on. It's been pretty hectic, to say the least.

There is still time for more business to occur, with the deadlines in some European leagues yet to pass, but the closure of one major window, that of the Women's Super League, means things will now start to wind down and clubs will be focused on the new seasons starting.

So, as that happens and the dust starts to settle on a wild few months, who has come out of this summer in good shape? And whose business has raised serious questions? GOAL runs through the winners and losers of the women's transfer window…

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  LOSER: Barcelona

  It's been a difficult summer, again, for Barcelona fans. While Marcus Rashford and Joan Garcia were both registered in time for the Catalans' first La Liga game as their financial constraints continue to cause problems, the women's side have watched player after player head out the exits, with only one new signing arriving to leave them with a rather depleted squad ahead of the new campaign.

  It's all because of the Financial Fair Play rules that the club has to adhere to, a task made tricky by the fact that every department in this multi-sports organisation – from football to basketball to rugby – is factored into those regulations.

  In previous years, other teams have been impacted by this situation, with the women's side left relatively untroubled by it all. Indeed, two years ago, the basketball team had to part ways with its star player, Nikola Mirotic, in order to meet the FFP rules and be able to register players. "We would like each section to have its own Fair Play and not depend on La Liga," Xavier O'Callaghan, Barca's head of professional sports, said last month. "But we must accept the rules that exist today.”

  This year, Barca Femeni have been hit hard, with Fridolina Rolfo and Ellie Roebuck both having their contracts terminated early, by mutual consent, as all departments look to reduce their wage bills, while academy products such as Jana Fernandez, Martina Fernandez, Bruna Vilamala, Judit Pujols and Ona Baradad have all been sold for fees. It means the club has been able to meet the FFP rules, but it does leave the women's team at a real disadvantage going into the new season, especially if they want to come out on top in the Champions League again.

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  WINNER: London City Lionesses

  This season, the relegation battle in the WSL is going to look quite different. Rather than the usual process of the bottom club being relegated, and the winners of the second-tier being promoted, not only will the top two in the newly-rebranded WSL 2 go up, but the team that finishes third also might, if they win a play-off with the team that finishes bottom of the WSL. There will be no automatic relegation spot in the top-flight, as it looks to expand.

  Given most would expect the worst team in the WSL to beat the third-best in WSL 2, there's not as great a feeling of jeopardy as usual, which is good news for newly-promoted London City Lionesses, who will be looking to break the run of two successive seasons of the second-tier champion being immediately relegated.

  Yet, given the transfer window London City have had, there are actually not many who would tip them to be in that relegation scrap. The club is owned by billionaire Michele Kang – who also owns the Washington Spirit in the NWSL and Lyon, the eight-time European champions – and that financial might, coupled with big ambitions, has resulted in London City making 15 signings.

  England forward Nikita Parris, Spain centre-back Jana Fernandez, Italy defender Elena Linari and Netherlands midfielder Danielle van de Donk are just some of the established stars to have been recruited, with promising young players such as Freya Godfrey from Arsenal, Sophia Poor from Aston Villa and Isa Kardinaal from Ajax also added. Combined with the star quality that was already brought in last summer to propel the club to promotion, this doesn't look like a squad that will struggle – it looks like one that could find itself well inside the top half of the WSL on debut.

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  LOSER: Man Utd

  It's hard to bemoan the transfers Manchester United have made in this transfer window. Julia Zigiotti Olme is a classy midfielder who undoubtedly improves that area of the squad, as was evident in her performances in Champions League qualifying last month, while Fridolina Rolfo is a top-class footballer and the kind of game-changing talent that the Red Devils need if they are to really kick on and challenge for top honours on a regular basis. Jess Park, the club's stunning deadline-day addition, is another player of serious quality who adds to a forward line which head coach Marc Skinner was keen to strengthen.

  The problem is that that is where United's recruitment ends. Despite the Red Devils having plenty of catching up to do to the likes of Chelsea, with their unmatched depth, and Arsenal, who just made Olivia Smith the first million-pound player in women's football history, it's hard to argue that they got significantly stronger this summer, particularly given the departure of Grace Clinton to City.

  Skinner admitted he wanted two more signings through the door before the deadline passed, and that was both before Clinton's exit and prior to United moving one step closer to the Champions League proper, which will stretch this thin squad out. If the Red Devils want to take that next step in the women's game, they have to do more. This window was not good enough.

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  WINNER: Ellie Roebuck

  It's been a tough couple of years for Ellie Roebuck. The 2023-24 season, her eighth and final one with Manchester City, began with her out-of-favour before she then suffered an infarct in her occipital lobe, a type of stroke, which she was fortunately able to make a full recovery from. At the end of that campaign, she secured a big move to three-time European champions Barcelona and would play her first match in 19 months last December, in a win over Real Betis. But Roebuck would only feature once more for the Catalans before seeing her two-year contract terminated early, as the club trimmed down their wage bill to meet financial regulations.

  It's not long since Roebuck was the most exciting goalkeeper in England. She broke through at City as an 18-year-old and made her England debut that same year, with her seemingly set to be the Lionesses' long-term No.1 in due course. However, Sarina Wiegman's decision to bring Mary Earps in from the international wilderness put that latter aim on hold, before events of the last two years left Roebuck unable to challenge for a spot while Hannah Hampton took over.

  This summer's move to Aston Villa, then, could be the moment that things get back on track for Roebuck. After all, given how long she has been around, it's easy to forget she is still just 25 years old, only a year older than Hampton. If she can play regularly again at Villa, she should get back into the England picture in no time, given how good she is. Can she then battle the Lionesses' No.1 for her starting spot? That's too far ahead to think about right now, but it does feel like this move is a huge step in the right direction for Roebuck.

Manchester United's hopes of signing a €75 million-rated goalkeeper may have received a blow as a European giant wants to drive up his asking price.

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• Onana struggling at Man United
• Man Utd & Man City on lookout for new keeper
• May have to pay above €75m asking price

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to A Bola, via Sport Witness, United, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich are keeping tabs on Porto keeper Diogo Costa. The Portugal stopper has a €75m (£63m) release clause and could potentially be on the move this summer, despite having just over two years left on his contract.

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  The report adds that Costa will be in the spotlight this summer as he is very likely to be in goal for Portugal in the final four of the Nations League and will be with Porto in the United States for the Club World Cup. United are said to have doubts about first-choice stopper Andre Onana, the same could be said for City and Ederson, and Bayern need a long-term successor for Manuel Neuer. If the 25-year-old can impress in the coming weeks, perhaps that €75m price tag may creep up.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Costa's Portugal take on Germany in their Nations League semi-final on June 4, with the victor lining up against Spain or France four days later.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Costa's Porto round off their league season against Nacional on Saturday, before taking on Palmeiras, Inter Miami, and Al-Ahly in the group stages of the Club World Cup in June.

The ECB believes it will be easier to control Archer’s comeback if he is in the UK under its supervision than with an IPL franchise

Matt Roller03-Dec-20234:31

Moody: Very sad to see Archer released after injury struggles

Jofra Archer will not feature in the 2024 edition of the IPL at all as ECB looks to take control of his workload in the build-up to next year’s T20 World Cup.Archer has not played any professional cricket since May 2023, when he suffered a recurrence of an elbow stress fracture while playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He briefly travelled to the World Cup in India as a reserve, but experienced more elbow pain while training in Mumbai and spent less than a week in the country.He does not feature among the list of over 1000 names – including 34 England players – who have registered for the IPL auction that takes place in Dubai on December 19. He recently signed a two-year England central contract running from October 2023 to September 2025, and ESPNcricinfo understands that the ECB told Archer not to enter the auction.Related

• Hardik will be challenged on and off the field at Mumbai Indians

• Australia's world champions enter auction at highest base price

• Mumbai Indians trade in Hardik from Titans

• Archer ruled out of West Indies tour due to setback in rehab

Rob Key, the managing director of England men’s cricket, has repeatedly stressed that England must work with franchise leagues rather than pushing back against them. But the ECB believes that it will be easier to manage Archer’s comeback if he is in the UK in April and May under its supervision than if he is in India on the books of an IPL team looking to get their money’s worth from him.Earlier this year, Archer left India a week into the IPL to see an elbow specialist in Belgium, and had a minor operation after experiencing pain on his Mumbai Indians debut. He returned to play four further games before going home, when he was diagnosed with a recurrence of a stress fracture by England’s medical staff.Key said at the time that England would review “every single thing we’ve done” in Archer’s rehab, having mapped out in detail a recovery programme in conjunction with Mumbai Indians’ medical staff, which included appearances for MI Cape Town in the SA20. As he attempts yet another comeback, the ECB has opted to take as much control over Archer as possible.At this stage, England are hopeful that Archer could be part of their squad for the T20 World Cup in June 2024 and are planning accordingly. “We take that bet with him that we want him back fit and able to play for England, because of the upside,” Key said last month. “You start looking at things like the Ashes in two years, the T20 World Cup… Jofra adds so much to that.”The only first-team cricket available to him in the first two months of the English season will be in the County Championship, since the T20 Blast does not start until May 30. England will play four T20Is at home against Pakistan from May 22 to 30, while Archer could also feature in the 2nd XI county T20 competition, which starts in mid-May if he needs to prove his fitness.England are hoping to have Jofra Archer in their squad at the 2024 T20 World Cup•PA Photos/Getty Images

Archer was initially bought by Mumbai Indians for INR 8 crore (£800,000 approx.) ahead of IPL 2022 despite the franchise knowing that a back injury would rule him out of the entire season. But he was released from his contract last week as franchises finalised their retentions for next year.He was retained by Mumbai Indians’ affiliate franchise MI Cape Town as a ‘wildcard’ player for the second season of the SA20 in early 2024 but his participation in that tournament will depend on how his rehab progresses. He is due to train with England’s white-ball squads in Barbados next week, but will not feature in either the ODI or the T20I series against West Indies.Given Archer’s injury troubles over the last three years, England will take a cautious approach with him. “You don’t want to risk rushing something to see that kibosh the rest of his career,” Key said at the end of England’s World Cup campaign.Eight England players – Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jason Roy, Mark Wood, Will Jacks and Reece Topley – were retained by their IPL franchises ahead of the upcoming auction, while Ben Stokes and Joe Root have both opted out.ESPNcricinfo revealed on Friday that the majority of England’s leading T20 players – including Harry Brook, Adil Rashid and Chris Woakes – have entered the auction as they line up competitive match practice ahead of the T20 World Cup, which takes place in the Caribbean and the United States.

Christian Pulisic is reportedly one of only four players to have been identified as “untouchable” in AC Milan’s squad.

• American moved to Italy in 2023
• Has become a talisman for Serie A giants
• New contract is waiting to be signed

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international has been in Italy since the summer of 2023, when he brought a four-year stint with Premier League giants Chelsea to a close – during which he became a Champions League winner.

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  Pulisic settled quickly at San Siro and has posted personal bests across both of his campaigns with the Rossoneri. His goal return hit 17 last season, having found the target on 15 occasions in his first with Milan.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  ‘Captain America’ has become a talismanic presence for the Serie A giants, with a new contract ready to be signed. Milan are understandably keen to fend off interest from afar, with Pulisic seeing a return to the Premier League speculated on at one point.

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  TELL ME MORE

  According to , the 26-year-old forward has become “untouchable” in Milan – with that talent bracket occupied alongside Ballon d’Or winner and new arrival Luka Modric, French goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Portuguese winger Rafael Leao.

The Australia keeper equalled the world record and set an Australia List A record with eight catches while Buckingham took 6 for 41

AAP14-Feb-2024Alex Carey took a world record-equalling eight catches in an innings for South Australia in their Marsh Cup win over Queensland.It was the 32-year-old Test wicketkeeper’s first 50-over game since being dropped from the Australian side at last year’s World Cup in India and he had a day to remember. Five of Carey’s catches were taken off the bowling of player of the match Jordan Buckingham, who finished with a career-best 6 for 41 in the Bulls’ total of 218 at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide on Wednesday.The Redbacks won by five wickets in the 45th over with Thomas Kelly blasting 81 off 66 deliveries and captain Nathan McSweeney making 52.Carey had earlier equalled the List A world record when he caught a skier to dismiss last man Matt Kuhnemann. Carey finished the innings equal with two previous world record holders who achieved the feat in English domestic cricket. The first to claim eight catches in an innings was Somerset wicketkeeper Derek Taylor in 1982. The feat was then achieved by Worcestershire gloveman James Pipe in 2001.Carey’s new mark is an Australian List A record on its own. Former Australia wicketkeeper Peter Nevill had eight dismissals in an innings for NSW against a Cricket Australia XI in 2017, but two of them were stumpings.Carey made the difficult look easy with his best catch a stunning diving effort down the leg side to dismiss Jack Wildermuth first ball off Buckingham.Wildermuth got a good piece of a glance that seemed certain to be going to the boundary. Carey dived full length and with his left arm on the ground somehow managed to glove the ball cleanly.He also took a well-judged running catch towards fine leg to get rid of Queensland stand-in skipper Marnus Labuschagne for 74 off 99 deliveries.Carey’s heroics came amidst an incredible spell of fast bowling by Henry Thornton. Thornton had 2 for 7 off his first six overs, beating Labuschagne at least six times with deliveries that cut both ways. Thornton dropped a tough caught and bowled chance off Labuschagne when he was yet to reach double figures.It took all of the Test No.3’s skill to negotiate a spell that Glenn McGrath in his pomp would have been proud of.The win was South Australia’s first in the competition this season, though they and the Bulls were already out of contention to play in the final.

England captain Harry Kane has been told why he is not a “great leader”, despite being a talismanic presence for club and country.

• Prolific frontman is skipper of his country
• Talismanic presence for Bundesliga champions
• Questions asked of his leadership skills

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane, who is the Three Lions’ all-time leading goalscorer with 73 international efforts to his name, finally broke his trophy curse with Bayern Munich in 2024-25. He is now a Bundesliga title winner.

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  Kane had fallen at the final hurdle on a number of occasions before getting over that line, with League Cup and Champions League heartache being endured during his time at Tottenham. He also had to settle for runners-up medals at two European Championships.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 31-year-old has continued to fill the armband for England, while helping to keep Bayern in contention for major honours, but his leadership skills have been called into question amid accusations of going missing in big games.

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  WHAT JORDAN SAID

  Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has told : “I don’t think he’s a leader. I think he’s a great player. I don’t think he’s a great leader."

  After seeing it suggested that Kane “leads by example”, Jordan added: “That's a form of leadership. I suppose they've never won anything under him, and in competitions like the Champions League in 2019 they didn't even turn up in the final against Liverpool. He didn’t turn up in that game.

  "There's been instances in the other games where he hasn't scored against the bigger opposition that question him. But I don't think you can question Harry Kane as a footballer. I think you can question him as a leader.

  “I think Antonio Conte made it very clear to Daniel Levy as part of his little departing salvo that he thought there was not a single leader in that dressing room.”

Conditions at Mohali are supposed to be more seamer-friendly than most Indian venues, but statistics reveal that fast and medium-fast bowlers have not performed particularly well

S Rajesh22-Jun-2005

A recent addition to India’s international venues, Mohali hosted its first Test only in 1994-95, when West Indies played the last match of their three-Test series. On a bouncy, green pitch which afforded generous assistance to Courtney Walsh and Co., India were blasted out for 114 in the fourth innings to lose by a massive 243 runs. Since then, the wicket has been suitably tempered to suit the Indian batsmen, and the results have been more encouraging too: two draws and a win – against England in 2001-02 – in the last three Tests.

The Indians got a huge scare in the only Test they played here against New Zealand, in 1999-2000. Asked to bat on a damp first-day pitch, India’s famed batting line-up lasted all of 27 overs – that’s less than a full session – and were bundled out for 83. The wicket eased up considerably thereafter, though: 13 wickets fell on the first day, but 17 more were lost over the next four as the Test petered into a draw. India’s batsmen redeemed themselves in the second innings: the top five all scored more than 60, with hundreds for Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, as India declared on 505 for 3.

Conditions at Mohali are supposed to be more seamer-friendly than most Indian venues, but statistics reveal that fast and medium-fast bowlers have not performed particularly well: their 67 wickets have come at a rather expensive 35. That’s still marginally better than what the spinners have managed, though (47 wickets at 37.23). India’s spin duo hasn’t done too badly here: Anil Kumble’s 18 wickets have come at 28, while Harbhajan Singh, in the only Test he played at Mohali – against England in 2001-02 – took 7 for 110.

The second, third and fourth days are clearly the best for batting at Mohali. The average runs per wicket in the first and fourth innings is only 28.3 and 23.1, but the figure shoots up to 40.7 in the second innings and an incredible 58.7 in the third.

Tendulkar, Dravid and Sourav Ganguly have all enjoyed plenty of success here. Tendulkar has played all four Tests hosted at Mohali, scoring 305 runs at 61, while Dravid (265 runs at 66.3) and Ganguly (222 at 74) have also consistently been among the runs.

A good drainage system is a must for every ground, so that cricket can be played and the spectators are happy

Sambit Bal at Trent Bridge27-Jul-2007

From a spectator’s point of view, can there be a greater shame than sitting in an open stadium under blue skies, bathed in lovely sunshine, and watching nothing more than one’s heroes having a hit at the nets? The groundstaff at Trent Bridge are hardly to be blamed; it’s been an unthinkably wet summer so far and so much water has seeped under the soil that the outfield has been impossible to dry. Much like large parts of England, the cricket ground here resembled a lake yesterday and it took three supersoppers to make it look like a cricket ground again. Even the spectators understood why the players couldn’t take the field.What a contrast it was from the previous week, when it had taken the Lord’s groundstaff only a couple of hours to get the ground ready after a deluge. The MCC has invested more than one million pounds in installing a new drainage system and the investment has clearly been worth it.The subject of indoor stadiums, or at least the option of retractable roofs, occasionally comes up in cricket and during a summer like this it is understandable why. It is unlikely, though, that cricket will take that route in the near future. Partially because it will be financially unviable to build and maintain an indoor stadium solely for cricket; it would need to be a multi-sport facility. But it’s also because the elements – the sky, the sun, the humidity, the breeze – are a fundamental part of cricket. The Lord’s Test twisted and turned and defied expectations of a batting feast because of the atmospheric conditions. Wet or not, cricket in the English summer would hardly feel the same without the light and shade and drizzle.It is obvious, though, that cricket must do whatever it can to avoid days such as today. A good-natured crowd at Nottingham bore the delay with patience and understanding. But the game mustn’t stretch the indulgence of its primary patrons. Expensive drainage systems must be seen as a necessity, not a luxury.I remember travelling by taxi to the Brisbane cricket ground on the first morning of the first Test between India and Australia in 2003 and the rain was so heavy that it was impossible to see the car in front. It had been raining all night and since I was jetlagged I even considered turning back. But it stopped raining and, incredibly, play started on time. It was a stop-start day because it rained throughout but never was play held up because of ground conditions.It was a similar story from Jamaica last year, where the rain was so heavy the night before India and West Indies were due to play their first one-day match that the teams didn’t even bother to come to the ground in the morning. An agency correspondent famously filed a report announcing not only the abandonment of that match but predicting a similar fate for the next match, scheduled at the same ground a couple of days later. He perhaps went by precedent: on India’s last tour in 2002, the first two one-dayers, also scheduled at Jamaica, had been washed out.A few minutes later a harried Rahul Dravid was spotted at the team hotel trying to get his team together. He had just been told that the game would start in half an hour. And it did. A significant change had taken place in Jamaica since 2002: as part of the preparation for the World Cup, the drainage system had been overhauled and it included sand-based top soil. An improved drainage facility would be, for the West Indies, an enduring legacy of the otherwise wretched World Cup.It should become part of the minimum requirements for every Test ground.

Tamil Nadu were a strong force in the domestic scene at the start of the millenium but the core members of that team are missing

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Chennai14-Nov-2007

The turn of the century coincided with a purple patch for Tamil Nadu
cricket. It was a period when a number of players from the state were
knocking on the doors of the Indian team, most of them trying to break
into the near-impenetrable middle order.The hunt for a quality Test opener seemed to have ended in 1999 when
Sadagoppan Ramesh burst on to the scene. There was Sridharan Sriram,
relentlessly pounding attacks at not only the domestic level but also
against touring international sides. Sridharan Sharath was the
go-to man for every crisis and Hemang Badani – probably the most proficient
stroke-maker of the lot – broke into the Indian ODI squad.Medium-pacer T Kumaran was selected for the tour of Australia in 1999-00
and there was talk of wicketkeeper Reuben Paul joining the one-day squad
as well. A few years later, L Balaji sent stumps flying and warmed hearts
across the border in Pakistan.Though the team wasn’t grabbing trophies, they were always strong
contenders. Reaching the Ranji Trophy finals in consecutive years (2002-03 and
2003-04) took them a few feet from the summit, though they seemed to not
have a way to upstage domestic giants Mumbai. However the glory all seemed
so short-lived and the core of the side doesn’t even exist today.Few players have migrated to other states while others defected to the
recently launched Indian Cricket League (ICL). Things came to such a pass
that Tamil Nadu nearly suffered the ignominy of relegation last season.In the background is WV Raman, one season old as the team’s coach. A
former India batsman, Raman was best known for his languorous drives
through the off side. Overseeing Tamil Nadu’s preparations ahead of an
eagerly-awaited encounter with Mumbai, Raman stretches backwards and looks
out into the tranquil surroundings of the Guru Nanak College
Ground in Chennai.”It’s all a state of mind, taking charge of such a young side,” Raman told
Cricinfo. “It’s only natural to ask yourself, ‘Well what have I got here?’
With a young side, the only way is up. As a coach it gives you immense
satisfaction to know that you have contributed in improving an
individual’s game and the performance of the team in general. Quite a few
positives came out in the last season despite the team’s ranking. The team
is in a transition phase and it takes time to rebound.”The timing of Raman’s appointment could bode well for the team. Survivors
of the exodus, like captain S Badrinath would have sensed a big change in
the dressing-room environment with several fresh faces hopping in. Raman,
though, has mainly overseen a team of youngsters.”Most of them had already left for other states by the time I joined so I
can’t really say if there were any drastic changes in the dressing-room
environment,” Raman says. “A few of them did call me after signing up [for
the ICL], saying that they joined for personal reasons. We have to respect
that as one cannot intrude into one’s personal decision.”The vaccum at the top presents an opportunity for the talent pool to get
some exposure. “We need to harness it at the junior level – especially at
the Under-15 level. They need to be made harder and tougher at that age
and I honestly feel that is lacking
at the moment. There is a bit of a soft upbringing in terms of the
cricket. That has to change for Tamil Nadu to become a force.”