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The FA banned solid pitchside barriers across the National League System on Friday following the death of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar. The governing body said, "Any existing solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers must be removed." Clubs got funding to help make these safety changes by 2026-27.
India's white-ball tour of Bangladesh is in doubt as political tensions flare up. With the team due to travel on August 28, the security situation remains under review. India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "the government had no role to play in what was an event."
Trent Boult dismissed Jonny Bairstow with a toe-crushing yorker during the London derby on August 6. The fiery send-off went viral as MI London secured a win over London Spirit. Boult remains a top wicket-taker in The Hundred, having picked up eight wickets across six matches in this strong season.
Real Madrid winger Franco Mastantuono joined Serie A side Fiorentina on loan for the 2026-27 season, the clubs confirmed on Friday. The 18-year-old Argentine will stay with the Italian team until June 30, 2027. This move gives the young attacker his first experience of Serie A to help his football development.
B. Aparajith made himself unavailable for the Tamil Nadu Premier League Season 10. The 32-year-old signed up as mentor for his former franchise Chepauk Super Gillies. "I was thinking about it for a long time," he said on Friday. He is now enjoying helping the boys from the sidelines instead.
Harbhajan Singh often scolded broadcasters who criticised him during his playing career. The former spinner recently admitted he had a major realisation after retiring from cricket. He said, "After retirement, it never felt like they said anything bad about me. They were doing their job," reflecting on his past actions.
Manchester City rejected a £40m bid from Barcelona for midfielder Rodri. City wants over £60m for the 30-year-old, so talks stopped. Jamie Carragher said, "£40-50m? If you're Manchester City, what's the point in selling them?" City hopes to sign a new contract with their captain instead of letting him go.
Newcastle United told Manchester United that Lewis Hall is not for sale this summer. Manchester United wanted the 21-year-old to strengthen their left-back position, but Newcastle rejected their enquiry two weeks ago. Hall still has three years left on his contract, and Newcastle now want to add another full-back instead.
Rajasthan-born Jai Moondra made his ODI debut for Ireland against Afghanistan after a dream T20I series against India. The 29-year-old moved to Ireland for a Master’s degree but kept his cricket dream alive at Leinster Cricket Club. He got famous after dismissing Sanju Samson with his first international ball.
Ravichandran Ashwin revealed he barely spoke to Sanjay Manjrekar for years after feeling hurt by his criticism. Ashwin said, "I always look at whether there is something to learn from criticism." The legendary spinner recently retired with 765 international wickets, ending a career defined by tactical brilliance and hard work.
Brendon McCullum stepped down as England’s Test coach, with Stephen Fleming taking charge of the red-ball side. McCullum praised the appointment, saying, "He's a little bit like me, but better." The ECB also brought back Joe Root as Test captain following Ben Stokes' retirement, while Harry Brook continues his development.
Ajinkya Rahane advised Indian batters to be proactive against Sri Lankan spinners in the two-match Test series starting August 15 at Galle. Rahane said, "You cannot be too defensive." He stressed that players must adapt quickly to different formats, as the game has evolved massively in recent years for everyone.