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From a strong IPL influence to persistent questions over financial sustainability, here are four talking points as CPL 2016 gets underway

Colin Benjamin30-Jun-2016Ever since Carlos Brathwaite’s heroics in the World T20 final in April this year, West Indian fans have been waiting to celebrate their world-champion cricketers. They were denied an opportunity to do so during the tri-series against Australia and South Africa in June, after Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy and Andre Russell were left out of the team because of their absence from the WICB’s List A tournament.This then is an opportunity for fans to celebrate with their winning stars in a tournament that also has a strong IPL influence and the best selection of overseas talent. From a West Indies perspective, here are four points of note for this season.Emerging playersWest Indies coach Phil Simmons told after CPL 2015 that, “The tournament is good, but not enough young West Indian players came to the fore. Just the established stars and the overseas players and as coach I would have liked to see more from the young players. I hope that improves in next year’s competition.”Unless the WICB changes its selection policy, or is disbanded in July’s CARICOM government meeting, most of the senior West Indies players could be excluded for a longer period. Thus, big performances in a platform like the CPL will be key for a few next-generation players looking to make a mark.One of them is 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran [Barbados Tridents], who made his T20 debut against Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2013 edition of the tournament. He showed his abilities in a knock of 143 against Australia at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup. He will return to competitive cricket for the first time since December 2014, following a recovery from a car accident that injured his left leg in January 2015. Pooran will have to build on his early potential as West Indies could do with more back-up options for their first-choice wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.The tournament also presents an opportunity for quick bowlers like Ronsford Beaton [Trinbago Knight Riders] and Delorn Johnson [St Lucia Zouks], and allrounders Kyle Mayers [Zouks] and Raymon Reifer [Tridents]. West Indies are short of options in the fast bowling department, even as the selection status of senior allrounders, Bravo, Russell and Sammy, remains unclear.Offspinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar, who played a key role in Trinidad & Tobago’s title win in the Nagico Super50 competition this season with 14 wickets, will be able to test his guile against established international batsmen when he takes the field for Jamaica Tallawahs. Another young player to watch out for is Shimron Hetmyer [Guyana Amazon Warriors], who led West Indies to victory at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year.One interesting subplot in the tournament is be the presence of Ramnaresh Sarwan, who is part of the Knight Riders’ squad. Sarwan hasn’t played competitive cricket in almost two years but could be an important figure for the team once Darren Bravo leaves for the India Tests. After Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s retirement, young batsmen like Shai Hope and Jermaine Blackwood have not been convincing, so the tournament is a chance for Sarwan to remind the selectors of his quality.The clash with the India TestsOne of the biggest issues for contracted West Indies players who were likely to feature in the home Tests against India was that they would not be allowed to participate in the CPL.Earlier this month, however, the WICB released five players – captain Jason Holder, batsman Darren Bravo, allrounder Carlos Brathwaite, legspinner Devendra Bishoo, and wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin for the T20 tournament. They have been permitted to remain with their franchises until July 11, ten days before the first Test against India in Antigua. Marlon Samuels, Man of the Match in the World T20 final, was not picked by any franchise during the draft in February this year.During the tri-series in Barbados, Simmons explained the rationale behind the decision to allow players. “It was an easy decision, we would have a five-day camp, then three days before the first test”, he said. “It’s something that everybody in world cricket allows. Joe Root just played a Twenty20 game in between the England and Sri Lanka Tests and, when we were in Australia, [Usman] Khawaja played a few T20 games before the Melbourne Test and came into that game with brilliant form.”A tender for the finals venue is an important source of income for the CPL but questions remain on the league’s financial sustainability•Caribbean Premier LeagueFinancial sustainabilityIn an interview to ESPNcricinfo recently, CPL CEO Damien O’Donohoe offered an interesting insight into how the league made money, particularly through tenders for hosting the finals.”We tender the finals, and last year it couldn’t have been a bigger success than it was in Trinidad,” he said. “The government there paid a decent sum – US$3.5 million – to get the finals last year. Now we’re still in negotiations in relation to the finals, because Trinidad’s economy’s been badly hit with the oil prices and they’re in deep recession. They don’t have that level of money to pay, which is a big challenge for us because that’s a very important revenue line for us. What I explained to the government is that the final is one thing, but actually supporting the team is a huge part of making CPL work long term.”Months of speculation over Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Florida hosting the final was put to rest when it was announced only days before the start of the tournament that St Kitts would host the final. According to local media reports in T&T, the government did not want to give US $1 million in foreign currency to host the finals when the country is facing a shortage of foreign exchange. Instead they wanted pay the CPL in T&T currency, which the organisers reportedly rejected.Unlike the IPL and the Big Bash League – where the BCCI and Cricket Australia have strong control over the organisation of the tournament and infrastructure – the WICB have sold the rights to run the tournament in the West Indies. The question, therefore, is how sustainable will it be, in the long term, for cash-strapped CARICOM governments to pay money to host CPL finals?The CPL is a welcome initiative that has also brought in funds for the domestic competitions, but many have criticised the WICB for signing a 50-year contract with the league. This was reportedly one of the factors that led to Dave Cameron’s election over Julian Hunte as WICB president in 2013. Concerns remain over whether the board needed to sign such a long-term contract, considering the uncertain fixtures climate in world cricket.The IPL influenceWhen CPL first started in 2013, there was no indication that linking up IPL teams was part of the league’s plans. In the inaugural year, Hollywood actors Mark Wahlberg and Gerard Butler purchased stakes in Barbados Tridents and Jamaica Tallawahs respectively.Over the last two years, however, the CPL has stumbled upon partnerships with IPL teams. The owners of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders bought the Trinidad & Tobago team, and renamed it Trinbago Knight Riders, and Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, former owner of Royal Challengers Bangalore, purchased Tridents. As Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore said, the IPL-CPL partnerships are potentially “perfect marriages”.West Indies’ legendary commentator Tony Cozier had earlier revealed before Mallya’s acquisition that the league was contemplating disbanding the Tridents as it had done with the Antigua franchise in 2015.In the current global climate of co-operation at the ICC, perhaps what Mysore and Mallya are doing could lead to the CPL being the first of many T20 leagues where Indian players will be allowed to participate.

Ben Rohrer’s story tells us a lot about how we used to view head protection and bouncers, and how the death of Phillip Hughes means we never will again

Daniel Brettig05-Mar-2015Ben Rohrer is over the worst of it. So much so that he blazed 276 for the New South Wales Futures League team last week and has taken his place in the Blues’ Sheffield Shield XI playing Tasmania this one. But there will still be moments when he remembers November 3 at the MCG, where he was struck a horrid blow behind the right ear.Chief among these was the day in early February when Rohrer came face to face – and bat to ball – with Chris Tremain, the man who had struck him that very blow with a short ball whirring in at him from around the wicket.As former NSW team-mates, Rohrer and Tremain are on good terms, and there was even a gentlemen’s agreement before the second XI game began. “We spoke before the game and he said ‘I’ll promise not to bounce you if you don’t bounce me’,” Rohrer told ESPNcricinfo, “and I took him up on that pretty quickly!”But it was still an odd experience for Rohrer, facing the man who had felled him all over again. “It was just weird watching him run in and bowl to me,” he said. “Just seeing him running in might have brought something back.”The something was less to do with the blow itself than its prelude and aftermath, which reflect the way cricket’s attitude to head injuries once was and now can never be again. In the winter, Rohrer had glimpsed the new helmet devised by the NSW supplier Masuri, and asked for his own edition of the improved headgear, which provided more extensive protection for the sides and rear.Around this time, Cricket NSW had entered into an agreement with Masuri to order enough of the new helmets to fit out those members of the state squad who wanted them, but the lag time between order in August and delivery in November was considerable. Rohrer asked for the helmet both before and after the state limited-overs tournament, but was told they were yet to arrive.After he was struck by Tremain, driven from the field via motorised stretcher and taken to hospital for assessment of what turned out to be a heavy and long-lasting concussion, Rohrer returned to the MCG. Some of the Victorian players had already been able to get their hands on the new helmets, and upon donning one worn by Marcus Stoinis, Rohrer discovered his injury could have been avoided. It still rankles.”I was obviously very frustrated and still at the moment I’ve got some symptoms, but very frustrated with the whole process,” Rohrer said. “Especially with a new model coming out, I thought it’d be quite easy to get a hold of, but whatever it was, we just didn’t have the access to the safest helmets. It was frustrating more than anything.”In the weeks after he was struck, Rohrer was not only physically unwell but mentally unsteady. Sitting alongside Trent Copeland at the SCG cafe later in November he looked awfully pale, and he was battling equally to get his buffeted head around normally simple tasks such as choosing his words. Mercifully, most of this gradually passed.”I was a different person there for quite a while,” Rohrer said. “Especially the first few weeks I even knew my personality wasn’t the same. I felt like I had to really think about what I was saying and my words and how to pronounce words, which is a very funny feeling. But that’s all gone now, which is great, it’s just the little bit of dizziness but that hopefully will go in the next month or two.”Ben Rohrer wearing the new Masuri helmet, showing where he was struck•Cricket NSWA first attempt to get back and play the week after he had been struck was aborted after one difficult net session, and Rohrer was working his way through a longer rehabilitation process when Phillip Hughes was hit on November 25, collapsing to the ground in a scene no one present at the ground would ever wish to revisit. Through the shock, pain and grieving that followed, Rohrer was placed in the difficult position of being repeatedly told how lucky he had been. He did not want to hear it.”The worst part of that time was people telling me how I should feel about it and telling me I should feel lucky and all that sort of stuff,” he said. “But I didn’t really feel any of that, I was more just feeling grief at losing a good mate and thinking how terribly unlucky he was. To think how many people do get hit, I’ve seen at least one guy get hit in the helmet every game since I’ve been back. It’s just incredibly unlucky that he was injured like that, whereas the rest of us get away with it.”As the rest of Australia’s cricket community tried to get on with playing the game, Rohrer fashioned his own rehabilitation. He returned in a Melbourne Renegades trial fixture in early December, then delivered performances of increasing assurance during the BBL. After facing Tremain, he clattered the ACT’s bowlers for the double century and has actually found himself feeling less apprehensive about being hit than before.”More than anything spending those few second XI and club games in the middle has allowed me to push past a few things and get a clear mind, which is a pretty key thing to batting,” Rohrer said. “The last thing you want is a little man on your shoulder talking to you, so that was a nice thing.”I think I’m less cautious early, I’ll really be pushing forward, making sure I’m making the right movements and I don’t know why that is. Whether it is because I’ve been hit badly now and got through that, my mindset’s changed where I’m not fearing it as much as I did before. That’s the odd thing – you’d think you’d go the other way.”What has certainly gone the other way is cricket’s attitude to head injuries. Where once Rohrer could remember the fielding team’s principle concern with a helmet hit being to exhort their fast bowler to go in even harder next time, now the looks of concern and rushes towards the batsmen in a spirit of care are palpable.”There’s noticeable changes, the first thing now is for people to check if they’re alright rather than, they used to want to be seen to be encouraging their bowlers to keep bowling that way,” he said. “That’s the one thing I’ve noticed, every time someone gets hit there’s nine or 10 players checking straight away whether they’re ok, and then off the field Masuri presented us with a new design for a bit more protection around the neck area. People have been woken up by this and it’s only going to be a good thing for protection.”The new urgency about protection was summed up by the fact that in the days after Rohrer was hit, NSW staff searched Sydney sports goods stores to find any early deliveries of the new helmets, while when the Australian Test team resumed for the delayed Adelaide Test, they were ever present. Further developments have come in the shape of proposed new neck guards from Masuri, while at the World Cup Ireland’s John Mooney has modelled his own version of a rear grille.As for Rohrer, he is back playing Shield cricket as he should be, and looking forward to resuming battle with Tremain. He does not expect the gentlemen’s agreement to last long, mind. “He’s too competitive to let that one stand – I’m sure it’ll be on for young and old next time I face him.”

ESPNcricinfo takes a look back at how the New Zealand players performed during their series win over West Indies

Andrew McGlashan23-Dec-201310Ross TaylorIs a player ever worth a full 10? It’s hard to argue that Taylor isn’t. Three hundreds in a variety of conditions and almost 500 runs. For a player who began the year considering his future after being sacked as captain it was a magnificent way to end 2013. Comparisons with his mentor Martin Crowe will continue and now they don’t appear out of place, even if tougher attacks await him.9Trent BoultSkillful, precise, menacing. There was barely a bad spell from Boult, save perhaps the opening day in Hamilton where he suffered a hangover from the career-best 10 for 80 in Wellington. Sure, he’ll face stronger resistance from many batting line-ups, but the sharp late swing – and not just with the new ball – makes him a constant threat. This year has set up his career.8Tim SoutheeDoes not always get the rewards he deserves for high-class spells of swing bowling. Not express pace, but can sustain a decent clip and his stamina is far improved of a few years ago. His third-day spell in Wellington of 9-1-19-3 during the follow-on was his best of the series. Reached 100 wickets in Hamilton. A very sharp slip fielder, but his batting is more miss than hit.7Kane WilliamsonMissed the first Test with a thumb injury, then looked a classy batsman in the matches he played. His back-foot strokes are outstanding – just needs to work on chasing deliveries outside off stump that he could leave alone. Bowling remains very useful and his catching can be breath-taking as witnessed by his grab in Hamilton to remove Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Brendon McCullumEnded a three-year wait for a hundred in Dunedin but couldn’t quite sustain his batting after that and continues to divide opinion in New Zealand cricket. However, he captained with verve and held his nerve about the follow-on in Wellington which proved fully justified. His attacking instincts are aided by a strong new-ball attack, but the runs will need to continue.Corey Anderson continued to suggest he could be a long-term solution to the allrounder’s role•Getty ImagesCorey AndersonHas all the makings of a top-class allrounder. His batting is a touch unrefined at the moment, but does not look out of place at No. 6 even if Sunil Narine posed him problems. His poise at 44 for 4 in Dunedin bodes well for future rescue acts. Did more with the ball than was probably expected and his economy is an added bonus. Another safe catcher.BJ WatlingCemented as the Test wicketkeeper because of what he brings with the bat as much as the gloves. His innings in Wellington was another example of his ability with the lower order. No huge mistakes behind the stumps.5Hamish Rutherford Started with a sparkling innings in Dunedin and ended unbeaten in the Hamilton chase, but careless dismissals undermined his series and he has yet to fulfill the promise shown by his debut 171 against England.Ish SodhiHad a minor role in the final two Tests. It would have been fascinating to see how he’d handled the pressure if the seamers hadn’t dismantled West Indies in the second innings in Hamilton. Dunedin showed much promise, as well as reminders of how raw he is. Will New Zealand hold their nerve with him when India arrive? Batting helps bolster the lower order. Fielding needs work.Neil Wagner You can’t deny the effort, but an average of over 45 will test the faith of the selectors against stronger batting teams. However, he does extract wickets during flat periods of play and got better as the series went on.3Peter FultonAfter his twin hundreds at Eden Park in March, Fulton is starting to tread water again at Test level. Like Rutherford, Fulton made one half century. Still very vulnerable to the moving and struggles to rotate strike against spin. The domestic form of players such as Tom Latham will be making him nervous.Aaron RedmondFollowed the Fulton route with a belated recall to cover for Williamson, but it may have been a brief return. Technically he remains next in line if an injury occurs.

The Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, in Colombo

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Colombo16-Jun-2012The over

When Thisara Perera came on for a new spell after the 40th over, Pakistan needed a very gettable 68 off 60 balls with six wickets in hand. Going by their experience against Perera at Pallekele, you’d reckon they’d be a bit cautious. A wobbly Younis Khan tried to fend Perera to the off side but edged it to Kumar Sangakkara. Pakistan needed Shahid Afridi to support a limping Azhar Ali at the other end, but he tamely chipped his first ball straight to cover. Perera became the fourth Sri Lankan to pick up an ODI hat-trick when he got Sarfraz Ahmed to edge to Mahela Jayawardene who took a sharp catch at slip. Perera wasn’t done yet. Sohail Tanvir tapped the ball to the on side, a cramping Azhar called for the run but sent him back on realising that he wasn’t going to be able to make it. Perera swooped down on the ball and in one motion under-armed the ball at the stumps. 176 for 4 became 176 for 8 after that over. Game, set and match Sri Lanka.Heads up

It’s not uncommon to see wicketkeepers wearing helmets while keeping to spinners. Sarfraz, though, seemed confident of his reflexes to not warrant any headgear. Until he faced Shahid Afridi. The ball was a touch slow through the air but bounced a bit more than Kumar Sangakkara expected. The inside-edge lobbed off the pads and knocked Sarfraz flush on the forehead. After a few seconds, which would have seemed like hours for the wicketkeeper, he was back on his feet. No nasty cut or blood on the pitch. Remarkably, he decided not to signal for a helmet.The direct-hit

The Pakistan fielders had several direct-hit opportunities but not all managed to hit the stumps. What hurt them especially was that a couple of those allowed Sri Lanka’s top scorer Sangakkara to get away. Umar Akmal failed to nail the target from point with Sangakkara on 10, and a short while later, Afridi too went off the mark, costing Pakistan an overthrow. It seemed like Pakistan’s best hope of hitting the stumps was by rolling their arm over, as Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Hafeez managed from 22 yards. However, Afridi redeemed himself when a flat throw from point which caught Lahiru Thirimanne short by the narrowest of margins.The bowling change

Pakistan’s need to beef up their batting meant that they had to leave out their third seamer, irrespective of Mohammad Sami’s fitness. After an accurate spell by the frontline seamers in the first Powerplay, Misbah-ul-Haq turned to the part-time option of Younis Khan – princely average of 86 with three ODI wickets. He has bowled 260 balls and conceded as many runs. He began inauspiciously with a wide, too far for Tillakaratne Dilshan to stretch the bat out to. However, in his second over, his gentle seam-up nearly cleaned up Kumar Sangakkara when an inside-edge sailed past the stumps. That wasn’t enough to reward him another over for the rest of the innings.

As another Under-19 World Cup gets underway, we look at the boys of the 2008 edition who are now men with international responsibilities

George Binoy15-Jan-2010Adrian Barath
Barath came to Kuala Lumpur as the boy who had caught Brian Lara’s eye at the age of 11. He was short and stocky, wore braces, and spoke confidently with a strong Trinidadian accent, recalling with pride his rise through age-group cricket, reeling off details meticulously. His earnestness and ambition shone through – both fine qualities to possess when on the cusp of global recognition. Barath, however, had an ordinary World Cup: he was under the weather and, although he possessed a tight technique, made only 84 runs in five matches. His opening partner, the towering Kieran Powell, was the attention grabber for his flamboyant hitting. In November 2009, though, Barath was opening with another physically imposing partner, Chris Gayle, facing the new ball against Australia at the Gabba. His first innings produced only 15 but his second was a 104 remarkable for its poise; a final glimpse of promise in a miserable decade for West Indies. Barath spoke, after his century, of the importance he gave Test cricket in this world of Twenty20. He wasn’t being just politically correct, for he did not register for the IPL auction in 2010. During the time between the U-19 World Cup and his Test debut, the highlights of Barath’s progress were a century for West Indies A against an England XI attack comprising James Anderson, Steve Harmison, Ryan Sidebottom and Graeme Swann; a call-up to the Test squad for the home series against Bangladesh; and a string of impressive performances for Trinidad & Tobago in the Champions League Twenty20.Virat Kohli
As captain of one of the teams tipped to win the U-19 World Cup, Kohli exuded a confidence beyond his 19 years. Walking around the Sunway Pyramid hotel in shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops, Kohli, ear studs, tattoos and all, carried the swagger of someone who knew he belonged. It wasn’t a façade either, for he had already represented his zonal side, and exhibited immense mental strength by playing a valuable innings for Delhi hours after his father’s death. Kohli was aggressive during the World Cup – in batting, fielding and captaincy – and played the innings of the tournament: a century off 74 balls against West Indies, notable for powerful drives straight and through the off side. He also led by example during a ruthless defence of 159 in the final against South Africa. Kohli’s performances in Malaysia caught Vijay Mallya’s attention and won him an IPL contract with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. A strong showing during an Emerging Players tournament in Australia resulted in a surprise call-up to India’s ODI squad for a tour to Sri Lanka as early as August 2008. Kohli has now played 20 ODIs and has moved ahead of the likes of Rohit Sharma in the pecking order, though his opportunities have come only when one of the team’s regulars is unavailable or injured. Encouragingly he has made starts in virtually all his games but also displayed a worrying tendency to give it away with ill-advised aggressive shots. His maiden century finally came in his 13th innings, when he scored 107 chasing 316 against Sri Lanka, and it could be the breakthrough that sets his India career on course.Wayne Parnell
Parnell was arguably the most impressive cricketer at the 2008 World Cup. His responsibilities included South Africa’s captaincy, aggressive middle-order batting and potent new-ball swing bowling. He was tough too: Parnell took the field in the quarter-final against Bangladesh despite a fever and sore throat, scored 57, took 6 for 8 in five devastating overs and set-up a 201-run victory. He left Malaysia as the leading wicket-taker, with 18 in six matches. His mates at Eastern Province wouldn’t have been surprised, for Parnell had been a hot talent since the age of 12 and made his first-class debut in October 2006. Thereafter, he started to climb the rungs towards the senior team. He was part of the Emerging Players squad to Australia in March 2008, won the South African Under-19 Player of the Year award in June, was part of the South Africa A squad for the home series against Sri Lanka A in July, and received an inevitable call-up to the national side for the limited-overs leg of the Australia tour in December, where he made his ODI and Twenty20 debuts. Parnell was also included in the squad for the third Test of the home series against Australia in March 2009, although he didn’t play. Later that month he became the youngest player to be awarded a central contract by CSA. Kent signed him for the 2009 county season and it was in England, during the World Twenty20, that he arrived. He bowled with pace and accuracy, during the Powerplay and final overs, and took nine wickets at an economy rate of less than six an over. But it hasn’t been all rosy. He was suspended by his domestic side, the Warriors, for a Supersport Series match because of disciplinary issues and had to wait till the final match of the home series against England to make his Test debut.Mohammad Aamer’s U-19 World Cup was cut short due to illness, but there have been no such hiccups in his impressive international career so far•Getty ImagesUmar Akmal
No other cricketer from the U-19 World Cup has become as important to his national side as the younger Akmal: a precocious talent and the future of Pakistan’s batting. At the moment he’s aggressive, charged by the fearlessness of youth, has technique, and has shown adaptability, playing valuable innings in all three formats: an unbeaten 72-ball 102 against Sri Lanka in his third ODI, a match-winning Twenty20 half-century against New Zealand on a tough pitch in Dubai, and an attacking hundred and a mature fifty on Test debut in Dunedin. He coped admirably at No. 3 on a seaming green top in Wellington, and had success in Australia as well. He averages 55 after five Tests and if he tempers his tendency to self-destruct when in control, he could go far. An indication of what was to come, though, wasn’t on show in Malaysia. Akmal opened the innings for Pakistan and rarely stayed at the crease long enough to make an impact, falling for single-digit scores in three out of five innings. His best, 17 off 13 balls, included four boundaries. His coach, Mansoor Rana, however, had immense faith in Akmal’s abilities, saying he could win a game in 10 overs. Akmal, while speaking, was shy, not as expressive as some of the others in Malaysia. He confessed a desire, before the semi-final against Australia, to play an innings that “will make people forget the failures”. He didn’t do it then but he has now.Mohammad Aamer
Singled out as a special talent as early as May 2007 by no less than Wasim Akram, Aamer, not yet 16 at the time, was tipped to be one of the stars of the World Cup. He began well, with 3 for 12 against Malaysia, but his tournament ended soon after because he caught the dengue virus and returned home. Aamer, however, did not need the youth World Cup to rise. As a lithe, wiry fast bowler capable of speeds around 150kph, he took 55 wickets in his debut first-class season and was included in Pakistan’s World Twenty20 squad. Sohail Tanvir’s poor form gave Aamer a chance to bowl with the new ball in England and he was exceptional. Few more experienced bowlers could have bowled a better opening over in the final – a maiden and the wicket of Tillakaratne Dilshan, the tournament’s best batsman, bounced out for a five-ball duck. Aamer went on to make his ODI and Test debuts in Sri Lanka in July 2009 and is currently part of Pakistan’s first-choice pace attack.Tim Southee
Southee was one of a kind in the 2008 World Cup – the only player, out of 240, with international experience, having played two Twenty20s against England. He was also the tournament’s fiercest bowler, using his height and strong build to good effect. His pace and ability to bounce the ball sharply brought him 17 wickets at an average of 6.64 and economy of 2.52, and the Player-of-the-Tournament award. He was the first bowler to challenge a strong Indian batting order, taking 4 for 29 in the semi-final. The World Cup performance fast-tracked his career and he was part of the New Zealand line-up for the deciding Napier Test against England in March 2008. He surprised everyone, taking 5 for 55 in the first innings and then biffing 77 off 40 balls with nine sixes in the second. With New Zealand losing players, to retirement and the ICL, Southee was given a national contract the following month. He has been a regular member of New Zealand squads in all three formats and should soon find a permanent spot in the XI.Phil Hughes started his international career with two centuries in his first three Tests•AFPPhillip Hughes
Short, confident, sporting spiky blond hair and ear studs, Hughes was one of only two Australians in the U-19 World Cup squad with first-class experience (Steven Smith was the other). But like most of his team-mates, he had an ordinary tournament – 89 runs in four innings – as Australia were eliminated in the quarter-finals. However, coach Brian McFadyen said Hughes was definitely one to watch out for because it was a rarity for an U-19 cricketer to already have played first-class cricket. Less than a month later, 19-year-old Hughes became the youngest to score a century in a Pura Cup final. He then made the Australia A squad for the tour of India in August 2008, scored plenty of centuries for New South Wales, and was the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year. Matthew Hayden’s retirement at the end of the home series against South Africa in 2008-09 created a vacancy at the top of the order and Hughes beat Phil Jaques to it. At the Wanderers, Hughes became Australia’s youngest debutant since Craig McDermott. He followed a duck on debut with 75, 115 and 160 in his next three innings and seemed destined to be Hayden’s successor. A stint with Middlesex – 574 runs in five innings – preceded the Ashes but that was where the honeymoon ended. England exploited his susceptibility against the short ball, and after failures in three Ashes innings Hughes was dropped and watched Shane Watson forge a productive opening partnership with Simon Katich.Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja had played the U-19 World Cup in 2006 and in Malaysia he had the confidence that only experience can give. He was one of India’s leading players – a cool head on the field and a jovial prankster off it – and contributed to India’s victory with a crucial spell in the final. His all-round skills – energetic batting, economical left-arm spin, and swift fielding – were vital and he was Kohli’s right-hand man. Jadeja’s performances won him a place in the Rajasthan Royals squad for the inaugural IPL, and Shane Warne’s admiration. Jadeja caught the selectors’ eye with 42 wickets and 729 runs in the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy and was called up for a tour of Sri Lanka in February 2009. He’s been in India’s limited-overs set-up since – moving ahead of Yusuf Pathan in the allrounders’ pecking order – and went to the World Twenty20 as well, but is yet to cement his spot.Seven other players from that World Cup have also made their international debuts: Darren Bravo and Kieran Powell (West Indies), Dolar Mahmud and Rubel Hossain (Bangladesh), Thissara Perera and Lahiru Thirimanne (Sri Lanka), and Ahmed Shezhad (Pakistan).

India coach feels they left a “few runs on the board” and that the young batters will get better with experience

Alagappan Muthu05-Feb-20244:14

Dravid: ‘There’s more to Bazball than just attacking cricket’

India rode on individual brilliance to level the series against England in Visakhapatnam. Yashasvi Jaiswal made a double-century in the first innings, but the next highest score was only 34. Jasprit Bumrah blew England away with reverse swing even as the spinners were struggling to make headway. Then Shubman Gill broke out of a poor run of form to score a century in the third innings, but once again the next highest contribution was only 45.Head coach Rahul Dravid has conceded that they were kept in the game and then got ahead of the game thanks to two incredible solo performances. “We were put under pressure at various times, but I think a couple of individual brilliances kept us in the game in the first couple of days,” he said at the post-match press conference on Monday.”Yashasvi’s brilliant innings, 209 in that first innings. And then Bumrah’s spell really on the first two days kept us, or got us ahead by 140 [runs]. And then, we needed a bit more of a team performance over the next days three and four to get us over the line. So, yeah, quite pleased considering, going behind in the last Test match and then losing a few players. Happy we were able to bounce back, but we recognise it’s gonna be a fantastic series and it’s gonna be some tough cricket played over the next three games.”Related

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• Bumrah: 'The yorker is probably the first delivery I learned'

• Gill on feeling pressure: 'It wasn't outside noise but the expectations I have for myself'

Though India took a sizeable first innings lead – 143 – they weren’t able to run with it because they kept losing wickets. Considering that, Dravid praised the batters for dealing with those setbacks and for coming out on top. It was two under-pressure players that navigated India to safety – Gill and Shreyas Iyer.”I don’t think there was any stage in the game where we felt we could actually force the play,” Dravid said. “As soon as we thought we could force the play with our 80-run partnership [with Iyer and Gill], we lost a couple of wickets. Then we settled in and got another partnership. If we had got to tea at 250 for 4 instead of 230 for 6, we were 210 for 4 I think, and you just start getting comfortable and then you lose a couple of wickets and you’re thinking, ‘oh’.”So I don’t think we were in any position at any stage in this game to ever think about putting pressure back on the opposition. So I think more than that [forcing the play], I think after we lost the first couple of wickets, we soaked the pressure really well to get that partnership, but we couldn’t just capitalise on it enough. And then the same thing happened when we got another 80-partnership [between Gill and Axar Patel]. If we had made that 120 or 130, then I’m sure we would have thought about it differently.”Shubman Gill’s century in the second innings gave India a huge advantage•Getty Images

Dravid did hope that moving forward, as this young batting group gains experience, they will be able to take better decisions regarding when to defend and when to attack.”If you want people to play with a little bit of intent and play a little bit positively, then you’re gonna have to accept a few mistakes,” he said. “And at times, you know, people may not be able to convert some of the starts, but for us, for me, it’s not so much about, it’s just about reading the game and the game situation. I think it’s about understanding are we making the right decisions when to put the pressure, or are we recognising that this is a moment where we need to soak in the pressure a little bit and maybe maybe be a little bit more conservative rather than attack all out?”I do feel that we did leave runs on the board here again. I think that’s, again, maybe a function of the fact that we do have a lot of young batsmen coming through who are I think still figuring out Test cricket a little bit. But you don’t have a lot of time, you know, to figure out Test cricket.”I will honestly say that I think we left a few runs on the board in both innings. you know, in both innings I felt we could have got, certainly in the first innings here, 396 I thought was under par. You win a toss. We have one guy with a double-hundred, you should be pushing 450, 475 in these conditions.”There continues to be focus on the conditions for Test matches in India with former captain Sourav Ganguly posting on social media that they should consider preparing pitches for their fast bowlers who are showing they can win Test matches on their own as well.”Curators make the pitches,” Dravid said. “We don’t ask for rank turners. Obviously tracks in India will spin, how much they’ll spin, how less they’ll spin, I’m not an expert, you know. Sometimes I get told they’ll turn on the third day, they turn on the first day. Sometimes I get told they turn on the second day and they don’t turn till day four. So, you know, I am sometimes as clueless as anybody else. We look at the wicket and we try to do the best we can with what we get and we’ll go to Rajkot, we’ll see what we get and play with whatever we get in front of us.”

Authorities have imposed a travel ban against the AC Milan supporters ahead of their clash against Roma, after the ultras indulged in vandalism acts.

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• Milan fans face travel ban ahead of Roma clash
• Roma Police HQ termed their acts as 'violent & vandalistic'
• Stadio Olimpico's travelling section to remain shut

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from Italian outlet , Roma Police Headquarters have imposed a travel ban on AC Milan supporters ahead of Saturday’s high-stakes Serie A match against Roma, following a spate of violence and vandalism linked to Rossoneri ultras during the Coppa Italia final against Bologna on Wednesday, which they lost.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The May 14 clash between Milan and Bologna at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico ended in chaos, with police reporting widespread damage to stadium infrastructure, stolen jerseys, and smashed vehicles belonging to Milan fans. The most serious incidents occurred in and around the Curva Sud — a section traditionally occupied by Roma ultras — where seats and bathrooms were defaced.

  Tensions had already flared days earlier due to inflammatory social media posts by some Milan ultra groups, who vowed to “desecrate” the Curva Sud. Roma supporters responded with threats of retaliation, which reportedly materialized in the form of slashed car tires and attempted assaults on visiting fans. Not just that, but two Roma fans were also later found in possession of stolen Milan jerseys, while security forces documented extensive vandalism inside the stadium.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Minutes after Roma Police HQ announced their decision on imposing a travel ban on Milan supporters, Banditi Curva Sud Milano, one of the ultras groups, released a statement on Instagram that read: “After last night’s unworthy performance, the umpteenth in a season that is the result of the evident incapacity of the directors of Via Aldo Rossi and a team without a shred of pride, we will leave you alone in Rome on Sunday. Along with your shame. This decision is taken regardless of any crazy travel bans that have been talked about for days.”

  This isn't the first time this season that Milan ultras have threatened to cease showing support for their club. In December 2024, the Curva Sud group chanted in protest against the American owner, Gerry Cardinale and the management group RedBird Capital Partners.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN?

  A bad season turned to worse on Wednesday as Sergio Conceicao's men lost 1-0 to Bologna in the Coppa Italia final. Although they can mathematically still qualify for next season's Champions League, they will need to win their final two fixtures, first against Roma on Sunday, May 18, and then Monza the following weekend.

  It has already been confirmed that the Portuguese manager will not remain in the Milan dugout next season, with a number of candidates linked to take over the reins.

MatériaMais Notícias

Recém-chegado na Inter de Limeira, o volante Jean Martim vem conquistando bons resultados com a camisa do clube. A vitória na última rodada sobre a Portuguesa, fora de casa, por 1 a 0 foi apenas o segundo jogo do atleta com a camisa do clube, que coincidentemente vem de dois triunfos seguidos na competição. Justamente as duas partidas em que o jovem de 23 anos atuou. O jogador falou sobre esse momento do grupo no Paulistão.

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– Eu enxergo o time numa crescente bem boa. Duas vitórias que nos dá tranquilidade para trabalhar. Além disso, a chegada de novas peças nos anima porque qualifica mais ainda a nossa equipe. Tenho certeza que ainda temos muito a evoluir dentro do Paulistão. Estou 100% adaptado ao clube. O grupo foi fundamental nessa adaptação. Eles me receberam muito bem e isso facilitou muito. Sabemos da dificuldade que vamos encontrar contra a equipe do Palmeiras, mas também entendemos que estamos vindo numa crescente e que podemos fazer um bom jogo para buscar o resultado positivo – contou o jogador.

Com a última vitória conquistada, a Inter de Limeira agora ocupa a segunda colocação do Grupo A, com 10 pontos, o mesmo número do líder Red Bull Bragantino. Ambas na zona de classificação para as quartas de final. O Leão encara o Palmeiras, nesta quinta-feira (9), em confronto válido pela 7ª rodada, dentro do Allianz Parque.

Apesar da pouca idade Jean acumula passagens por Vila Nova, Avaí, Figueirense e Hercílio Luz. O jogador tem no currículo 75 jogos pela categoria profissional e soma um título estadual do Campeonato Catarinense pela equipe alviceleste de Florianópolis, que o emprestou até o final do Paulistão.

تسبب لاعب ريال مدريد في إثارة جدل كبير بين أوساسونا والنادي الملكي، قبل لقائهما المقرر إقامته اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

ويواجه ريال مدريد نظيره أوساسونا مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، في أولى جولات بطولة الدوري الإسباني، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

وتعتبر تلك المباراة هي ضربة البداية للمدرب الإسباني تشابي ألونسو، في “لا ليجا” مع ريال مدريد بعد خوض منافسات كأس العالم للأندية 2025 والتي خرج منها من نصف النهائي بعد الخسارة أمام باريس سان جيرمان برباعية نظيفة.

وأبرم ريال مدريد عدة تعاقدات خلال سوق الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي، بضم ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، دين هويسن، ألفارو كاريراس، وفرانكو ماستانتونو.

وسجل ريال مدريد، فرانكو ماستانتونو، القادم من ريفر بلايت، ضمن فريق الكاستيا مرتديًا رقم 30، لرغبة النادي الإسباني بإفساح المجال لتسجيل صفقة جديدة حتى نهاية الميركاتو الصيفي في الأول من سبتمبر.

اقرأ أيضًا | تشكيل ريال مدريد المتوقع أمام أوساسونا اليوم في الدوري الإسباني.. موقف الصفقات الجديدة

وفقًا لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، فقد علق ميجيل جالان، رئيس المركز الوطني لتدريب مُدربي كرة القدم عبر حسابه الرسمي على موقع “إكس”: “يبدو أن نادي ريال مدريد قد قرر تحمل خطر التعرض لتشكيلة غير صحيحة محتملة في مباراة أوساسونا، من الضروري توضيح أن مجرد إدراج لاعب في قائمة الفريق واللاعبين المؤهلين للاستدعاء لا يشكل في حد ذاته مخالفة لتشكيلة غير صحيحة”.

وأكمل: “ولإثبات هذه المُخالفة، من الضروري أن يلعب اللاعب بضع ثوان على الأقل من المباراة، يبدو أن اللاعب المعني يستوفي المتطلبات اللازمة للمشاركة في المباراة، نظرًا لامتلاكه رخصة سارية”.

وأكد أنه لا يمكن في هذه الحالة الاستناد إلى مبدأ التوقعات المشروعة لتبرير سلوك مخالف للمادة 125 من اللائحة العامة للاتحاد، إذ إن تسجيل اللاعب ضمن الفريق “ب” قد تم بسوء نية واضح.

ويستند في ذلك إلى المعلومات المقدمة خلال المؤتمر الصحفي لتقديم اللاعب المعني، حيث توجد مؤشرات واضحة على سوء النية، إذ تم تقديمه ضمن الفريق الأول، بينما تم تسجيله ضمن الفريق الرديف بهدف التحايل على اللائحة التي تحدد عدد اللاعبين من 1 إلى 25، مما يسمح بتوفير عدد أكبر من اللاعبين للفريق الأول.

ولكن لكي تُطبق عقوبة التسجيل غير السليم أو الاحتيال على ريال مدريد فيما يخص ذلك، يجب إثبات أن التسجيل لا يستوفي المتطلبات المادية والشكلية المطلوبة، أو أن التسجيل في الفريق الاحتياطي تم استخدامه كوسيلة للتحايل على اللوائح والقوانين، أي وجود سوء نية أو نية للتهرب من نظام الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وفي هذا الصدد، يسمح الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم للاعبين المسجلين في فرق الرديف بموجب قواعد محددة، حيث أن المادة 250 نظمت وضع الفريق الرديف وتنص على إمكانية صعود اللاعبين إلى الفريق الأول، مع تحديد حد أقصى لعدد المباريات المُشاركة وهو 10 مباريات.

قدم فيل فودين ، نجم نادي مانشستر سيتي، اعترافًا هامًا لجماهير فريقه، وذلك قبل بداية الموسم الجديد للنادي الإنجليزي والذي سوف ينطلق خلال الفترة القليلة المقبلة.

فودين تراجع مستواه بشدة خلال الموسم الماضي مع مانشستر سيتي، حيث كان اللاعب بديلًا بشكل شبه دائم مع السيتيزن ولم يقدم المستوى المطلوب منه.

طالع .. جوارديولا يكشف عن توقعاته بشأن موسم مانشستر سيتي الجديد

وأكد فودين في تصريحات لموقع مانشستر سيتي الرسمي، أنه يعي جيدًا الانخفاض الذي حدث في مستواه الموسم الماضي، ويريد تعويض ما فاته الآن.

وقال فودين: “أريد العودة إلى مستواي، علي فقط بذل الجهد في التدريب والثقة بنفسي، أعتقد أنه بعد الموسم الماضي، كنا بحاجة إلى تعزيز الفريق وضم لاعبين جدد. لقد أبلى اللاعبون الجدد بلاءً حسنًا، فقد تأقلموا بسرعة كبيرة، وهم هنا لمساعدتنا”.

وأضاف: “يمكننا جميعًا أن نرى جودتهم من كأس العالم للأندية وما يقدمونه للفريق، لذا لدينا فريق أكبر حاليًا، لكنني أعتقد أن ذلك كان ضروريًا، أتطلع فقط إلى الموسم والتواصل مع اللاعبين الذين أحب اللعب معهم والاستمتاع به حقًا”.

 وعن المركز المتوقع أن يلعب فيه الموسم المقبل مع مانشستر سيتي أوضح فودين: “لست متأكدًا من رؤيتي للمدرب هذا العام، يمكنني اللعب في عدة مراكز مختلفة، لكننا جميعًا نعلم أن مركزي المفضل هو مركز الجناح الأيمن”.

وأتم فودين في تصريحاته: “دعونا نرى ما سيحدث. لست هنا لأكرر ما فعله كيفن دي بروين، فنحن جميعًا نعرف مدى روعته وما قدمه للنادي، الأمر يتعلق فقط ببذل قصارى جهدي والوصول إلى المستوى الذي حققته عندما كنت لاعب العام، أريد العودة إلى ذلك”.