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Shan Masood retains Pakistan captaincy as Aamer Jamal returns for first Test against England

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Khurram Shahzad has not fully recovered from the side injury he picked up during the Bangladesh series

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2024

Shan Masood will be able to call on Aamer Jamal’s services again•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Pakistan have retained Shan Masood as their captain for the first match of their three-Test series against England, which begins in Multan on October 7. Aamer Jamal has found a place in their 15-member squad following his return from a back issue, while Khurram Shahzad, who took a six-wicket haul in the second Test against Bangladesh, misses out having failed to fully recover from an injury to his left side.Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who didn’t feature in the Bangladesh series, returns to the side as a second frontline spin option alongside Abrar Ahmed.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

There was some scrutiny around Masood’s position in the aftermath of the 2-0 home Test series defeat to Bangladesh earlier this month, but he retains the role for now, with Pakistan looking to overturn a run of poor results in the longest format. They have lost each of their last five Test matches, all with Masood in charge, and they are on a 10-match winless streak in home Tests.One piece of positive news for Pakistan is the return of the fast-bowling allrounder Jamal, their most impressive performer on their 2023-24 tour of Australia. Jamal has been dealing with lower-back issues over recent months, and didn’t take part in the series against Bangladesh. He has since returned to 50-overs action in the Champions Cup.This is counterbalanced, however, by the absence of Shahzad. He picked up the side injury during the second Test against Bangladesh, and was expected to be fit in time for the England series when a fracture was ruled out, but he hasn’t yet staged a complete recovery.Top-order batter Kamran Ghulam and fast bowler Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Bangladesh series, have been left out. A PCB release said both “remain firmly in the selectors’ plans. However, due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are sufficient for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and the President’s Cup, starting on 3 October, to ensure they stay match-ready through competitive cricket.”The players selected in the Test squad have been withdrawn from the Champions Cup playoffs to enable them to rest before the start of the England series. The squad will assemble in Multan on September 30, with their pre-series training camp starting on October 1.Pakistan squad for first Test against EnglandShan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel (vice-capt), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi.

He won 0 duels: Ange must instantly axe Spurs dud who dropped a 2/10

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Unfortunately for the Tottenham Hotspur faithful, last night was a return to what has become their new normal this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side played host to Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and found themselves two goals down within 20 minutes.

Now, Richarlison did manage to pull one back late on and, in all honesty, they created enough chances to turn the game around, but in the end, they fell to their 18th league defeat of the campaign and their eighth at home.

Tottenham Hotspur manager AngePostecoglou

In all, it was just another disappointing night for the North Londoners, one in which most of the starters let themselves down, including one ace who should probably be dropped after yet another shocking showing.

Spurs' poor performers

So, before we get to the player in question, it seems only fair to go over some of the other Spurs players who let the manager and fans down last night, starting with Cristian Romero.

Player ratings via Sofascore

After his sensational showing against Eintracht Frankfurt last week, there was some hope that he’d carry that into the rest of his appearances this season, but it was very quickly evident that wasn’t going to be the case against Forest.

Not only did the World Cup winner look determined to get himself sent off, but he also lost track of Chris Wood for the striker’s headed goal, making the 4/10 match rating he received from Alasdair Gold more than fair, and his substitution at half-time the correct call.

However, the Argentine wasn’t the only dire defender, as it was also a first 45 to forget for the usually impressive Micky van de Ven.

Like his defensive partner, the Flying Dutchman came off second best for the Tricky Trees’ second goal as he lost the aerial duel with the free-scoring Kiwi and certainly warranted the 5/10 rating he received from Gold.

Van de Ven’s game in numbers

Minutes

45′

Expected Assists

0.01

Blocks

0

Tackles

0

Interceptions

1

Duels (Won)

4 (2)

Long Balls (Accurate)

2 (0)

All Stats via Sofascore

However, as poor as the two centre-backs were, another member of the back five was even worse and should, therefore, probably be dropped ahead of the game against Liverpool on Sunday.

The Spurs star who should be axed

So, even though there were a number of other starters who also endured a torrid time last night, such as Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr, when it came down to it, the worst performer for the hosts was Guglielmo Vicario.

It really was a night to forget for the Italian shot-stopper, as he probably could have done better for Elliot Anderson’s opening strike and then definitely should have done far better for Wood’s header.

In fact, had the former Empoli star not come rushing off his line to fly into thin air, there is a real chance that he would have been able to either parry the ball out of danger or perhaps even hold onto it. Instead, he gave the in-form forward practically an open net at which to aim.

Unsurprisingly, Gold was left unimpressed and awarded the 28-year-old a 3/10 match rating, which was more than justified by his stats, as in 95 minutes of action he made a single save, prevented -0.60 goals, made one error leading to a goal, made just 18 passes and failed in 100% of his long balls.

Now, if this display was a one-off, then suggesting he be dropped ahead of the game on Sunday would be unjust, but it’s not the only time he’s failed to perform in recent weeks, as he put on yet another horror show away to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.

Vicario’s game in numbers

Minutes

95′

Saves

1

Goals Conceded

2

Goals Prevented

-0.60

Errors Leading to a Goal

1

Passes

18

Duels won

0

Long Balls (Accurate)

1 (0)

All Stats via Sofascore

In fact, that match saw Gold justifiably award him a 2/10 match rating, as he also made an error that led directly to a shot and, on top of that, managed to prevent -1.05 goals.

Ultimately, Vicario might be a better keeper than Antonín Kinský, but at the moment, he is a liability, so Postecoglou should be bold and drop him from the starting lineup for the next game.

Otherwise, it could be a third shambolic league performance on the bounce for the “unbelievable” Italian ace, as the legendary Gianluigi Buffon once described him.

The best signing since Kulusevski: Spurs have hit gold on "ridiculous" star

He has been Tottenham Hotspur’s best signing since Dejan Kulusevski.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 21, 2025

Five World Cup questions for South Africa

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

With 21 games left before the 2019 edition, the Sri Lanka series is as good a time as any to identify personnel and combinations

Firdose Moonda27-Jul-2018 Is a series in Sri Lanka a good starting point for World Cup preparation?Instinct would say no, but the answer is yes. The expectation of flat pitches with plenty of runs everywhere in the world for ODIs would say it’s as good as anywhere and batting coach Dale Benkenstein has come up with a reason. Given South Africa’s problems against wristspin and Sri Lanka’s team selection, Benkenstein sees the series as an opportunity for education. He hopes the batsmen will gain experience in picking the turn, something that they struggled with en masse against India earlier in the year and during the Tests. The results might not be pretty but it’s something South Africa have to go through if they are to improve.How much will South Africa miss AB de Villiers?South Africa’s performance in the Test series suggests that de Villiers’ absence is already glaring. However, they’ve been used to his absence for long periods anyway. De Villiers had never taken a similar sabbatical in the shorter formats, even after stepping down as ODI captain following the 2017 Champions Trophy. He was always identified as their talisman and their mascot; the man who wanted to win a World Cup more than anyone else.Now, South Africa have to go into the tournament without de Villiers, who decided to define his career on other things. South Africa may miss his reputation but a brief glance at his recent numbers suggest they aren’t missing much, runs wise. De Villiers scored only 20 runs in three Champions Trophy matches, then returned from injury to blast 176 against Bangladesh but had a quiet series against India, scoring 56 runs in three innings.JP Duminy gets down for a sweep•AFP Is JP Duminy really going to the World Cup? Since his Test retirement before the start of last summer, Duminy has faded from the selection debate, but is likely to come back as the World Cup approaches. We may not even want to talk about when Duminy last scored a hundred because he only has four to his name (answer: the 2015 World Cup against Zimbabwe), but it’s worth noting that he only has one half-century from his last 20 ODI innings. Duminy may get more opportunity to score bigger if he is promoted to de Villiers’ No.4 spot, but he will need to start showing he can put in telling performances under pressure if he wants South Africa to rely on him at the World Cup.Who after (or instead of) Imran Tahir? Officially, Tahir has been rested from the ODI series because South Africa know what he can offer. Unofficially, the selectors may be thinking ahead in case they need someone else Tahir’s form has dipped sharply in the 2017-18 summer, where he took seven wickets in seven matches at 42.50, including going wicket-less in three of the four matches against India. Tahir is finding form at Durham but the door is open for one of Keshav Maharaj or Tabraiz Shamsi to make a strong case to leapfrog Tahir in the World Cup squad.Shamsi has slightly more ODI experience – seven caps to Maharaj’s two – and was also named the domestic one-day cricketer of the year at the CSA annual awards but Maharaj’s excellent showing in the second Test suggests the pair could be set for a showdown over the course of the series.Is a Steyn-less attack enough? South Africa have travelled with an inexperienced pace attack to Sri Lanka, made even more green by the absence of Morkel and Dale Steyn. Between them, Kagiso Rabada, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder have 78 ODI caps, and 48 of those belong to Rabada. Steyn and Morkel have almost three times that number, 233, but the early indications are that neither will be at the World Cup.Morkel has retired and Steyn has not played an ODI since October 2016 and during the course of his recovery from a recent heel injury, Gibson indicated Steyn should focus on red-ball cricket. However, in a recent interview, Steyn has suggested he wants to be in contention for the World Cup squad, and if selected will use the tournament as a white-ball swansong.His offer is tempting for two reasons: South Africa could use his experience and they could also use the motivation of a marquee player to send off at the tournament. Though Faf du Plessis hinted the World Cup could mark the end for several seniors (Hashim Amla, for example), having Steyn – the bowler who sent down the ball the 2015 semi-final was last off – in the squad may serve as fuel to the Protea fire.

Brook blazes century in soggy Headingley stalemate

by csb10.top Uncategorized

England star Harry Brook hit a stunning final day 100 not out in his first competitive innings since December as Yorkshire and Leicestershire had to settle for an opening round Vitality County Championship draw at Headingley.Brook arrived at the crease four balls into day four of this weather-ravaged Division Two fixture, overnight rain and a wet outfield once again delaying the start of play.Yorkshire resumed, at 1.35pm, on 72 for 2 in their first-innings reply to Leicestershire’s 354. George Hill fell caught off a miscue in the day’s opening over, paving the way for Brook to come in and royally entertain the 178 hardy spectators who had waited patiently for play.He smashed 14 fours and two sixes in 69 balls, Yorkshire declaring immediately on 264 for 6 just before tea in order to improve a slow over-rate from the first innings. They did so successfully as spinners Dan Moriarty and Lyth raced through 7.2 overs before the rain arrived at 4pm. No more play was possible, with Yorkshire taking 12 points and Leicestershire 13.Brook shared 128 inside 16 overs for the fourth wicket with fellow centurion Adam Lyth, who played second fiddle despite posting his 101 off 100 balls. Yorkshire’s opener started the day on 43.

Brook’s last competitive innings was for England against West Indies in a pre-Christmas T20 in Trinidad and Tobago. The 25-year-old was due to tour India with England’s Test team at the start of the year and also play for Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier League. But he withdrew from both assignments, with his grandmother Pauline passing away.Brook preferred to play his cricket with Yorkshire so he could be around his grieving family. He will play the opening five Championship matches of the summer before turning his attentions to preparations for June’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA.”Harry Brook makes it look so easy,” Ottis Gibson, Yorkshire’s coach, said. “Having him in our batting line-up makes a huge difference. A lot of the communication was from him. We’ve put no pressure on him to play: ‘You go at your own pace with regards to when you come in here at Headingley’.”To be fair, he’s been coming in and has been having lots of nets. At a time like this, he’s been wanting to be around people he’s comfortable [with]. One of the conversations that we’ve had is that he just wants to play cricket with his mates again. He’s got a lot of mates in the dressing room, they’ve played a lot of cricket together and grown up through the age-groups.”This is his comfort in a difficult time. We are the benefactors of that, and we are very grateful to have him. I think we’ll enjoy watching him bat for the next four games if he carries on batting the way he is.”Brook also played in a friendly against Durham at Headingley on Easter Sunday and smashed 74 off 42 balls. This innings was played in the same manner.He drove his second ball, from seamer Matt Salisbury, for four straight down the ground and was particularly strong in that region, be it with precision or power. He also pulled seamer Scott Currie for six, off the front foot, over deep square leg twice in as many balls en route to a 35-ball fifty.

By this time, Lyth had reached his own half-century, off 59 balls, and he was first to a century. As he always is, the 36-year-old left-hander was particularly strong on the drive, and he also pulled Rehan Ahmed’s legspin over midwicket for his second six on the way to a 98-ball ton. Lyth fell caught at deep cover off Tom Scriven’s seam two balls later, with the score 201 for 4.Leicestershire played some excellent cricket during the first couple of days, both with bat and ball. And they started day four well when Salisbury forced Hill into a miscued drive to mid-off four balls into the day. But they had no answer to Brook’s brilliance. From quite early in his innings, a century almost felt inevitable.England spinner Rehan was amongst the Foxes bowlers taken to task – conceding 43 runs from five overs – though they did have success at the other end from Brook through ex-Yorkshire allrounder Ben Mike. He had claimed the first two wickets on the second day and returned to trap both Jonny Tattersall and Jordan Thompson lbw cheaply as the score became 254 for 6 late in the afternoon.This was also Brook’s first appearance of any kind for Yorkshire since July 2022, and he reached his 12th first-class century off 69 balls immediately before the declaration.

Shakib Al Hasan's simplicity keeps Bangladesh's complex World Cup challenge alive

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Allrounder’s stunning impact with bat and ball has kept the World Cup interesting by taking down the big boys

Mohammad Isam17-Jun-2019For a brief moment after the 38th over, with Bangladesh’s score on 294 for 3 and in complete control of a tough chase, the Taunton County Ground’s PA system played a few seconds of “We Will Rock You”. A few foot-stompers were revealed in the crowd, but it wasn’t played for long enough. Seeing Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das get together in the middle at that very moment, telling each other one last time that we can do this, the mind went back to how the Mumbai crowd swooned to a patriotic song towards the end of the 2011 World Cup final.World Cup campaigns become expressions of performers and failures, cricket teams and cricket nations, and sometimes, entire countries. In 2011, it was as much about giving Sachin Tendulkar what he richly deserved on his mantelpiece, as it was about India coming out as the best ODI team of the decade. That couple of minutes at the Wankhede Stadium brought it all together, how the team had reshaped since 2007, and what cricket and those players meant to the crowd, and the nation.”We Will Rock You” was coincidentally played when Shakib was doing unbelievable things in Taunton. It didn’t give rise to quite such a beautiful moment, as the song was played for only a few seconds, but it nevertheless epitomised what Shakib has been to this World Cup.He has rocked the tournament right to its core.Without discounting some serious performances from the likes of Rohit Sharma and Aaron Finch, Shakib’s runs and wickets have provided the impact that the World Cup has crying out for. The tournament needed someone from one of the smaller teams to take down the big bowling attacks, use his cunning to outfox top batsmen, and lead his side when they were faltering.Related

Shakib, Liton the stars in Bangladesh's record chase

Shakib Al Hasan floors West Indies with high-impact performance

West Indies go short only to come up short

Liton's battle against nerves, pressure

Shakib has also stood out by being so incredibly relaxed about the whole thing. Cricket needs its fans, so you need players like Shakib to bring them to the game. He makes the complex tasks of bowling left-arm spin and scoring truckloads of runs seem simple, likeable, and very human.Anyone can bowl like him, trundling in off a few paces and tempting the batsman to hit him. Anyone can bat like him; he is see-ball-hit-ball personified. There are very few shots that he plays that require you to be an expert. At a pinch, his cut shot exudes a higher level of skill, but if you see the ball coming at you at high speed, you just place your bat in the right position and the right time. Simple.Twice now, Shakib’s simplicity as a cricketer has helped Bangladesh emerge triumphant in two bouncer-fests. South Africa at The Oval and West Indies in Taunton were stern tests of a batting line-up that was faced with its most disliked type of delivery. Yet, Shakib led the fight after Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar had given him the start. Today it was Liton Das who took encouragement from his presence and calm aura. Against New Zealand, Shakib’s dismissal spun the game the way of their opponents despite an encouraging start. Against England, he was the sole beacon of hope as cricket fans back home felt enraged by the defeat.Afterwards, Shakib acknowledged his impact but claimed he was merely matching the levels he had reached nine years ago, when he single-handedly took down New Zealand in Bangladesh’s breakout ODI performance. He said that he reminds himself of the tough moments in his life, in order to lessen the impact of each new challenge that he faces.”Mindset is very important,” he said. “At this level, in this atmosphere, mental strength is very helpful. Fitness is important too, but the more you can be courageous, everything clicks. The battle is within oneself. If you keep telling yourself ‘I am winning’ it will definitely help you win.”I am seeing the ball really well. I think it is one of the key part of my batting. I am getting more time. I was never in a rush chasing these runs. I was patient enough to put the bad ball away.Shakib Al Hasan hit his fifth consecutive 50 in ODIs•Getty Images”In terms of runs, it is my best. I have done well in the past but it is not necessary that you always make the most runs or take the most wickets when you have the best mindset. I am in a good place now, which I want to continue,” he said.After spending most of his career in Bangladesh’s middle order, Shakib added that his recent promotion to No.3 had been a major factor in his achievement of back-to-back hundreds at this World Cup.”I have batted at No. 5 for most of this period [in the last two years]. I didn’t get enough overs to bat on many occasions ,” he said.”I think batting at No. 3 gives me more time in the innings. I have made a lot of fifties during this period. I gave it a thought, how I can make my innings bigger.”Shakib did, however, ride his luck in this latest innings, on at least six occasions. Top-edges landed either beyond fielders or between them. Some made their way beyond the boundary. One of them just eluded the bowler. There were drives that went for four when he just played through a slower ball.But he didn’t feel bad about it. It is actually quite hard to make Shakib feel bad about any of his runs or wickets, no matter how they come to him. He simply takes emotion out of the equation.All of which has helped Bangladesh stay in the World Cup for one more day. It has given this World Cup another day to be thrilling, to be awe-inspiring to its audience. It is time to spread the word that Shakib is here, and say what it is he does and how easily he does it. He is, essentially, doing the simplest things in cricket. Under pressure. Trying to please 170 million people. Simple. Anyone can do it.

موعد مباراة الزمالك القادمة في الدوري بعد الفوز على المصري

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، الفوز أمام نظيره المصري، بثلاثية نظيفة، خلال المباراة التي جرت بينهما اليوم ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

والتقى الزمالك مع المصري، على أرضية ملعب برج العرب، في إطار مواجهات الجولة السادسة من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري.

طالع |فيديو | عمر جابر يسجل هدف الزمالك الثاني أمام المصري

وأحرز عدي الدباغ هدف الزمالك الأول، في الدقيقة 30 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة، فيما جاء الهدف الثاني عن طريق عمر جابر في الدقيقة 64، فيما سجل الهدف الثالث عبد الله السعيد في الدقيقة 90 من ركلة جزاء.

بتلك النتيجة، يحتل الزمالك المركز الأول في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 13 نقطة، بينما يأتي المصري بالمركز الثاني، ولديه 11 نقطة.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب الزمالك مباراته القادمة أمام الإسماعيلي، ضمن مواجهات الجولة السابعة لبطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز. موعد مباراة الزمالك القادمة أمام الإسماعيلي في الدوري

تُقام المباراة يوم الخميس الموافق 18 سبتمبر القادم، في تمام الساعة الخامسة عصرا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

A piece of Headingley history in West Indies' rare overseas win

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

All the key numbers from West Indies’ astonishing victory at Headingley as they chased 322 to level the series

Bharath Seervi29-Aug-20172000 – Last time West Indies won a Test in England, before this win – at Edgbaston by an innings. Since then, in the 18 Tests they played, they could draw only three and lost other 15.4 – Number of overseas wins for West Indies in the last 20 years, excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, in 88 Tests. They had won the Edgbaston Test in 2000, Boxing Day Test of 2007 in Port Elizabeth and against Pakistan in Sharjah last year win at Headingley.2 – Instances of teams winning a Test after facing a bigger innings defeat in their previous game in the series than West Indies who have sealed a victory after losing by an innings and 209 runs in the first Test. India had won against Sri Lanka after losing by an innings and 239 runs in 2008 and Australia won against India after a defeat by an innings and 219 runs in 1998.4 – This is the fourth successive series in which England have lost the second match of the series. They had won the first Test in three of those series – against Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies – and drew against India, but have lost the second match in all four of them. England have lost the second Test in 10 of the last 14 Test series, since the Ashes in 2013-14.3 – Number of bigger targets successfully chased by West Indies than the 322 in this match. Against England, this is their second-highest successful chase and the third-highest chase for any visiting team in England.12 – Instances of teams losing a Test after declaring in the third innings, as England in this match. The last such occasion was also for England, against India in Chennai in 2008 when their captain Kevin Pietersen made the declaration. Other England captains to suffer this are Norman Yardley and David Gower.1 – Shai Hope is the first ever player to score centuries in both innings of a first-class match at Headingley. This was the 534th first-class match at the venue and 76th Test match but the first to see witness a batsman scoring two centuries.12 – Instances of a West Indies batsman scoring twin hundreds in Tests, including Hope. The last West Indies player to do so against England was Gordon Greenidge at Old Trafford in 1976. Greenidge was also the previous youngest player, at age of 25 years, 68 days, to achieve this in England and now Hope has beat that, ageing 23 years, 288 days.4 – Number of West Indies pairs to share 100-plus partnerships in both innings of a Test. Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope became the fourth such pair. They are the seventh pair to add 200-plus runs and 100-plus runs in a Test and first to do so against England.390 – Runs added by Brathwaite and Hope as a pair in this Test – the third-most by a West Indies pair in a match. The list is lead by 446 runs between Garry Sobers and Conrad Hunte against Pakistan in Kingston in 1957-58. Against England, there have been only three higher partnership aggregates in a Test.1989 – Last time a visiting opener scored a century and fifty-plus in the same Test at Headingley, Mark Taylor with 136 and 60. Brathwaite is the first visiting batsman to do so at Headingley from any batting position since Gary Kirsten’s 130 and 60 in 2003.2009 – Last time a West Indies player scored century in one innings and was out in 90s in the other – Sarwan (94 and 106) against England in St John’s. Brathwaite, with 134 and 95, is the sixth West Indies player with this distinction. The last such instance for any player was also against England, Hashim Amla, 109 and 96 in Centurion in January last year.11 – Number of players to score their career’s first two Test centuries in the same match, as Hope did it in this game. Lawrence Rowe, 214 and 100* on his debut, is the only other West Indies player to do so. The last to achieve this was New Zealand’s Peter Fulton in 2013. Hope’s highest score before this Test was just 90.

Red-hot India gunning for fourth win, Bangladesh stand in the way

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Bangladesh are playing an ODI against India in India for the first time since 1998

Mohammad Isam18-Oct-20235:31

Bond: India could turn up 80% and still be good enough to win

Big Picture: Can Bangladesh spring a surprise?The defending champions have been upset by Afghanistan. Australia haven’t looked like Australia of World Cups past. Pakistan seem lacking too. And the South African juggernaut fell apart against Netherlands. Of all the pre-tournament favourites, only India and New Zealand have played like favourites. The latter have made it four wins in four, and now India are looking to do the same, against Bangladesh in Pune.Bangladesh may have a favourable 3-1 ODI record against India in the last 12 months – most recently winning their Super Four encounter in the Asia Cup last month – but beating India in India is easier said than done.The hosts have played with plenty of main-character energy in their first three fixtures, scoring convincing victories against Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were tested to varying degrees in all those games – reduced to 2 for 3 in the chase against Australia; Afghanistan setting a target of 273; and Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan building a solid platform – but in the end it wasn’t even close.India’s outstanding bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, has taken 28 out of a possible 30 wickets so far, while they have lost only nine wickets in three chases and never more than four in a game. Rohit Sharma’s ultra-aggressive approach has been the highlight of their batting performances and he’s got another batting-friendly surface waiting for him in Pune.Related

Chandika Hathurusinghe hoping World Cup upsets inspire Bangladesh against 'scary' India

Rohit Sharma's bold new batting template has changed his ODI game – and India's

Bangladesh’s only win against India in the ODI World Cup was 16 years ago – in Trinidad in 2007. Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim were just starting their careers then, and they have played India three times on the biggest stage since, losing quite convincingly on each occasion.This Bangladesh squad has enough experience and young talent in their ranks to stretch India, but their current form isn’t promising. Mushfiqur has scored two fifties in three matches so far but the rest have struggled with consistency. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das had one good knock each. Rookie Tanzid Hasan hasn’t had much impact. Towhid Hridoy, who scored 500 runs before the World Cup this year, is batting lower than his usual No. 5 position. Mehidy Hasan Miraz also hasn’t been effective.Shakib suffered a quadriceps injury last week but could play – as per their coach, Bangladesh are awaiting results of a scan done on match eve before taking the final decision.* With Bangladesh looking to lengthen their batting by having Mahmudullah at No. 8, Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed, both of whom played a part in the Asia Cup win against India, are unlikely to make the XI.Whether Bangladesh runs India close or not could come down to how their fast bowlers fare. Mustafizur Rahman aside, the others have been off-colour. Shoriful Islam has been expensive at times and Taskin Ahmed is not the force he was earlier this year. If these three, or Hasan Mahmud and Tanzim Hasan, can fire it will give Bangladesh a stronger foothold in the contest.Kuldeep Yadav took eight wickets in a Test the last time he played Bangladesh•AFP/Getty ImagesForm guideIndia WWWLW (last five ODIs, most recent first)Bangladesh LLWLLIn the spotlight: Kuldeep Yadav and Najmul Hossain ShantoKuldeep Yadav has five wickets from three games and his economy of 3.9 in 30 overs is testament to the control he’s offered during the middle overs. He revealed recently that increasing his pace has allowed him to bowl better in the last 12 months. Bangladesh’s most recent memory of Kuldeep is his eight-wicket haul in the Chattogram Test late last year – India will be hoping for more of the same from him.After his unbeaten fifty against Afghanistan, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s low scores against England and New Zealand have had an impact on Bangladesh’s top-order returns. His free-flowing batting has been a huge boost to Bangladesh in 2023 and they desperately need him back among the runs.Team news: Bangladesh to gamble with extra bowler?India are unlikely to change their winning combination. The small ground dimensions and flat pitch could mean that Shardul Thakur is likely to keep his spot ahead of R Ashwin.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajIf Bangladesh can play Shakib, they will. They could be tempted to promote Mehidy Hasan Miraz to open with Litton and Mushfiqur could also bat higher in the order. The question is whether Bangladesh will look to strengthen their bowling by sacrificing some batting depth.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahmudullah, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditions: High scores in Pune?Since 2017, teams batting first have posted 300-plus totals in three out of five ODIs in Pune, though this will be the first international at this venue in nine months. There was some drizzle on the eve of the match but the forecast is for sunshine on match day.Stats and trivia: A 25-year wait ends This is Bangladesh’s first ODI against India in India in 25 years. From those who played their previous ODI against India at the Wankhede in 1998, Minhajul Abedin is the current chief selector, Khaled Mahmud is the team director, and Athar Ali Khan is a TV commentator.Virat Kohli has an average 67.25 and strike rate of 101.25 in 15 ODIs against Bangladesh, with four centuries.Shakib, Taskin and Mustafizur all have five-wicket hauls against India in ODIs.Quotes”He had a good batting session yesterday. He did a bit of running between the wickets as well. We are waiting for the result of the scan we did today. We haven’t tried his bowling yet. We will assess him tomorrow morning, and make a decision. If he is not ready to play, we won’t risk it. If he is ready, there’s a chance of him playing tomorrow.”

“When you enter a World Cup, every team will pose you a challenge. So, from our perspective, I don’t think we’ll take anyone lightly.”

Rishabh Pant expected to return for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Rishabh Pant is set to return to action for Delhi Capitals, that too as captain, in IPL 2024. ESPNcricinfo understands that the franchise expects Pant, who missed the 2023 season after suffering serious injuries in a car crash in December 2022, to be fully fit by the end of February.Related

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It could not be confirmed, however, if Pant will return as a wicketkeeper-batter, his usual role, or as a specialist batter. But the franchise is understood to be happy to have Pant as captain and batter.The first hint of Pant possibly making an IPL return came in November, when he attended a Capitals camp in Kolkata, which was also attended by senior franchise support staff including Sourav Ganguly (director of cricket), Ricky Ponting (head coach), and Pravin Amre (assistant coach). Subsequently, Pant took part in the discussions around the retention and release of players ahead of the next auction, scheduled for December 19 in Dubai, as well as the drafting of an initial auction plan.

Pant was ruled out of playing any cricket in 2023 after all three key ligaments in his right knee were torn in the car crash. Since then, Pant has undergone successful reconstructive surgeries to the ligaments and has been doing his rehab at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. In recent months, he has posted videos suggesting that his recovery has been going to plan.While he has resumed batting, it could not be confirmed whether he has been keeping wickets.There has been no official update on Pant from the BCCI since July, when it said he had made “significant progress in his rehabilitation and has commenced batting as well as keeping in the nets”.If Pant is cleared by the NCA by February next year, as the franchise expects, the IPL will be the first tournament he will play since featuring in the Bangladesh tour in late 2022. In Pant’s absence last season, Capitals had appointed David Warner as interim captain. They finished second from bottom, with five wins and nine defeats in 14 league games.

FSG now ready £30m offer to sign "brilliant" star for Liverpool this summer

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Liverpool are on their way to claiming their second title of the Premier League era and appear to be gearing up for an exciting transfer window at Anfield.

Liverpool set sights on important summer transfer window

Barring a collapse of epic proportions, Liverpool are well down the line in securing the Premier League crown and also remain in contention for the Champions League under Arne Slot.

Next weekend, the Reds travel to face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley offering the first domestic prize of the campaign, so there is plenty for the Dutch boss to ponder between now and the business end of the season.

Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah celebrate for Liverpool

Aside from on-field duties, Liverpool have a major cloud hanging over Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’s contracts. Despite being critical to their success, the trio are out of contract this summer and could all leave on free transfers.

Finding a solution has to be of paramount importance to FSG, who will also have designs on equipping Slot with funds to ensure his side compete on multiple fronts again next season.

Liverpool’s out of contract trio – weekly earnings

Mohamed Salah

£350,000

Virgil Van Dijk

£220,000

Trent Alexander-Arnold

£180,000

Reports suggest Joao Pedro and Joshua Kimmich are targets for Liverpool as their recruitment drive begins to escalate. Xavi Simons and Lamine Camara are also in the frame to strengthen the engine room, illustrating the level of ambition that supporters could see from the Reds’ owners.

Exciting times are on the horizon in the red half of Merseyside. However, the wider fanbase will be keen to see a strategic approach to recruitment as opposed to a scattergun mode of operation.

Slot seems to have understood this mission if reports are to be believed, with his side now said to be readying an offer for one of the Premier League’s most attractive assets.

Liverpool line up bid for Fulham defender Antonee Robinson

According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool are readying a £30 million offer for Fulham’s Antonee Robinson and could be rivalled by Chelsea in pursuit of the United States international.

Labelled “brilliant” by Jermaine Jenas, the 27-year-old has registered ten assists this season in 28 appearances across all competitions, which could see him enter the frame as a genuine competitor for Andy Robertson at left-back.

He left in 2013: Liverpool flop sold for £15m is now outscoring Nunez

He was one of the worst signings in Liverpool’s modern history.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 4, 2025

Fulham wouldn’t be willing to entertain offers under the £41.7 million mark, so it remains to be seen whether FSG would stretch to the ballpark specified once the window opens for business.

Motoring up and down the left flank, Robinson has created 35 chances and completed 36 crosses on Premier League duty as he approaches the prime years of his career. Intriguingly, his agency Wasserman also represent Curtis Jones and Joe Gomez.

Defensively, the Milton Keynes-born man has also won 146 duels and 44 tackles in the English top-flight. Competent in both aspects of the full-back role, he would likely be a sound fit with Slot’s high-intensity tactical framework should a deal come to fruition.

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