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ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2016Robin Uthappa was dismissed early, but Manish Pandey was in prime hitting form. He made 52 off a mere 29 balls•BCCIMumbai’s fielding was a bit below par. Rohit dropped a catch in the ninth over and Jasprit Bumrah dropped one in the 17th•AFPGautam Gambhir, the beneficiary on both occasions, held Knight Riders together with his 64 off 52 balls•BCCIWhile Andre Russell’s big hitting powered them to 187 for 5•BCCIMumbai began their chase with a solid 53-run opening stand, but it ended when Parthiv Patel misjudged a single and was run out•BCCIKnight Riders’ spinners were taking hold when Mumbai sprang a surprise by sending Mitchell McClenaghan at No. 4. The New Zealand fast bowler struck 20 off only eight balls•BCCIJos Buttler carried that momentum forward, striking three fours and three sixes in his 22-ball 41•BCCIKolkata’s three spinners cost 101 runs but Russell had the worst figures – four overs for 52 runs•BCCIRohit remained unbeaten on 84 off 54 balls as Mumbai eased to victory with six wickets and nine balls to spare•BCCI

With the pointy end of the World Cup around the corner, Australia’s attack will have to find a way to cope with the absence of a high-quality attacking spinner, on pitches where their pacers may not find much help

Daniel Brettig in Sydney08-Mar-2015Indisputably, Australia have the pace bowling to win this World Cup. They also have the batting, now calibrated nicely by a shuffling of the order that has Steven Smith in optimum position to influence the course of the innings. But on a bewitching evening at the SCG, the hosts’ suspected blind spot was revealed by a pitch on which they will have to win once more in order to progress to the tournament final.Sydney did not spin quite so much as expected, meaning Sri Lanka’s bowlers were rendered more or less defenceless by Glenn Maxwell and a recalled Shane Watson after the platform set by Smith and Michael Clarke. But their batsmen showed precious little fear of the Australian bowling attack once it became apparent that neither swing nor lift would be extracted by Mitchells Starc and Johnson.Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal were especially savage on Xavier Doherty, leaving many a nation to fancy themselves should they encounter Australia in similar climes during the knockouts. Since West Indies’ hegemony was ended by India in 1983, high-quality spin bowling has been a significant element of all Cup-winning teams, and Australia would run against the grain of history by winning without it.On their arrival in Sydney after brushing Afghanistan aside on a flier in Perth, the Australians were unimpressed by the 22 yards prepared for this match. A late season SCG pitch always has a chance of being slower, lower and less inclined to suit the pacemen than strips used earlier in the summer. Even so, Australia have become used to something offering a little more pace, bounce and carry than this one.The bowlers were nonplussed when earlier this summer India’s batsmen were able to hold their own on strips rather less lively than those of 2011-12. For the remainder of this tournament, they will need to find ways to prosper on similarly dull surfaces, given that Adelaide Oval and the MCG are drop-in wickets while, on the evidence of Sunday night, the SCG will be offering plenty to batsmen but very little to anyone other than a high-quality spin bowler.None of this seemed likely to be too much of a concern when Michael Clarke, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Shane Watson were pulling together a gargantuan tally. The changes to the batting order first made in Perth, with Watson dropping out to allow Smith to move up to No. 3, were bedded down further here, and the resultant stability made for a stark contrast with the hectic rush of wickets witnessed against New Zealand in Auckland. Smith is fast becoming the cornerstone of the top six, and his new posting reflects that solidity.Equally Clarke, Maxwell and Watson looked better for the change, playing the roles each looked most comfortable with. Clarke’s decision not to take part in the giddy later overs at the WACA Ground was made to look sound as he took time to build an innings before accelerating with typical mastery of spin, and Maxwell benefitted greatly from the launchpad he was granted to career away to an emotional first hundred for his country.Xavier Doherty’s flatter deliveries did not pose tough questions to Sri Lanka’s batsmen•Getty ImagesMost significant of all was the freedom with which Watson played in his new middle-order posting. There is every chance he would not have played for the rest of the tournament had the SCG pitch not been quite so dry, but he took his chance with the sort of refreshed vigour that indicated his omission and the resultant hand-wringing by selectors and team-mates was actually some sort of relief. Certainly, Watson looked more concerned with hitting the ball and less with tackling his technical foibles. It remains to be seen whether he can retain his spot ahead of Mitchell Marsh for the rest of the tournament.When Australia returned to the middle to defend 376, they were given a brief glimpse of former lopsided results against Sri Lanka, notably during the Test series of 2012-13, when Johnson had Lahiru Thirimanne fending a short ball behind. This proved less the start of a trend than a bowling outlier, and as Dilshan and Sangakkara became established, Clarke had to resort to more than new ball options.Doherty has been a peripheral figure during this tournament so far, doing a lot of training and net bowling but never seriously being considered for the starting XI, even though when the squad was announced it was said he would be needed in New Zealand. In reality it looked as though the selectors had thought they could win the Cup without recourse to a full-time spinner, and thought it would be better for Nathan Lyon to be plying his trade in the Sheffield Shield rather than warming the bench for the national team.Lyon is a bowler capable of turning a limited-overs innings, as he showed against Pakistan last year and more recently for the Sydney Sixers in their run to the Big Bash League final. But Doherty’s flatter offerings do not pose the same questions, and are designed mainly to contain. Oddly, the selectors chose him despite knowing that the Cup’s playing conditions were devised to encourage aggressive bowlers hunting wickets rather than run-stifling misers. Even more oddly, at a tight moment of Sri Lanka’s chase, the selector Mark Waugh was heard to say on the broadcast that Doherty needed to be brave and toss the ball up in search of wickets. Waugh seemed unaware that Doherty has seldom if ever done this in ODIs.Clarke is usually a great champion of spin bowlers, and he spoke supportively of Doherty after the game with the admission that a catch he dropped when Dilshan miscued might have been the key to his left-arm spinner securing better figures. But at the same time, Clarke conceded that entering the final 10 overs with Chandimal and Angelo Mathews firing, Australia were under genuine pressure – this was largely the result of a missing ingredient in the middle overs.”The whole Sri Lankan batting innings they played well and we were under pressure, there’s no doubt about it,” Clarke said. “We had to continue to take wickets, and our attitude was we’ve got to find a way to take wickets, and it shows how far the game has come that you can even think about chasing 375 runs. But it’s the skill of the players, the work they put in, and credit to the ground staff … I thought the wicket was exceptional.”In the end, Australia were aided greatly by an ill-timed muscle strain for Chandimal, while James Faulkner proved his spinal importance to the team by bowling critical overs through the middle and dismissing both Dilshan and Sangakkara. It said much for the element missing from Australia’s XI that Faulkner’s over-the-wrist slower balls gained more purchase than anything from a spinner – he will be critical to any further progress beyond the quarters.As they gathered to celebrate victory by a wider margin than seemed likely for much of Sri Lanka’s chase, Australia’s players showed as much relief as elation. They will have to find ways and means to excel through the middle overs at the pointy end of this event, and the pitches they are likely to encounter will not grant too much assistance for an otherwise fearsome pace-bowling attack.

Mathew Sinclair burst onto the Test arena with a double-hundred, yet been forced to quit the game to secure himself and his family a means to a living

Freddie Wilde17-Jul-2013In 1999, Mathew Sinclair became the first New Zealand cricketer to score a double-century on Test debut; and he did so against a West Indies bowling attack that included Courtney Walsh. The following year, Sinclair scored 150 against South Africa, this time against Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and co. Then, a year after that, Sinclair notched up his second double-century in just his 12th Test with 204 not out against Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq et al.If you take these three innings in isolation, and then consider the way that the following decade in the world of cricket panned out, you would struggle to envisage the end to Sinclair’s career that has materialised.On July 17, Sinclair announced his retirement from cricket, saying that he would instead sign on for unemployment benefits to support his wife and two children. “This is the reality. This is what it’s like. It has been quite a tough decision to make… It has been very hard to look for some sort of meaningful employment… I had to make a conscious decision to give up the game to make myself more marketable.”Sinclair, who despite his promising start to his international career represented New Zealand only intermittently and played the last of his 33 Tests in 2010, said it was difficult to find work during the off-season with employers knowing he would only be available for six months of the year. This was a decision based on the cold financial realities of cricket in New Zealand, a profession he felt was no longer sustainable.Sinclair’s retirement is a stark reminder of the monetary discrepancy that remains between players from different corners of the globe. While MS Dhoni earns an estimated $50 every minute, there are still some professionals who cannot make a living by playing cricket all year round.Despite Kerry Packer, Jagmohan Dalmiya, Lalit Modi, and the Indian Premier League, there are pockets of international cricket that remain desperately poor. New Zealand are a nation with a rich cricketing lineage, and while Sinclair’s international career fizzled into a domestic one, he continued to display his excellence in this arena, where he scored 36 first-class hundreds, a number which is bettered by only five New Zealand players. And although it is far from a financial haven, New Zealand are one of the eight major nations in world cricket, and it remains staggering that Sinclair was forced to make the decision.So next time Jesse Ryder is criticised for choosing Delhi Daredevils over New Zealand, or Daniel Vettori for choosing Royal Challengers Bangalore over a Test match, just remember Sinclair’s story, and remember how a man who at one point seemingly had the world at his feet ended up retiring from cricket to join the job queue. These players only play cricket for a short while, and they have to maximise their opportunities, especially when you consider the financial black hole that lurks below them in domestic cricket.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line

The MCG has provided the pitch and the stage to two less-than-perfect teams to weave together the perfect narrative that has kept everyone – batsmen, bowler, and spectators – interested

Sambit Bal at the MCG28-Dec-2011If you didn’t allow yourself to be distracted by the chatter about the Decision Review System, a far better story lay there before you: Test cricket in its finest suit. The MCG has provided the pitch and the stage to two less-than-perfect teams to weave together the perfect narrative that has kept everyone – batsmen, bowler, and spectators – interested.The fall-of-wickets column suggests an awkward batting surface. The truth is that the pitch has done Test cricket credit: it has consistently rewarded good bowling, and skillful batsmen have found the way to score runs. At the most, there has been the hint of uneven bounce, but hardly any treachery. Batsmen have managed to drive on the up, down the ground, cut and pull and defend comfortably, but at the same time, they haven’t been able to take the runs for granted; they have had to be vigilant and resourceful. Cricket is at its most satisfying when both runs and wickets feel earned and the large crowds that have turned up on each day have been handsomely rewarded.When Sachin Tendulkar found his top game yesterday, the ball hurried through the turf as if it had friends waiting beyond the ropes, but as has been the case throughout the match, the wicket-taking ball was lurking in the corner. Peter Siddle might have cost the MCG some serious gate money on the third day by finding Tendulkar’s stumps in the dying moments yesterday, but he burst the match open dramatically.Though the scorecard didn’t do full justice to Australia’s effort yesterday, each of their quick bowlers stood guilty of bowling at least one poor spell. How well did they make up for it today? Leave aside a poor spell, there was hardly a poor ball all morning. Rahul Dravid, who was fortunate to survive yesterday, received what must count as an overnight batsman’s worst nightmare: the dream ball from the right-arm swing bowler, in the first over of the morning. Ben Hilfenhaus landed the ball on the middle stump on the perfect length, and it moved just enough to evade the bat and hit off stump. It was fitting that two special balls accounted for Test cricket’s most prolific run-getters.Perhaps it was fortuitous for Australia that Siddle, indifferent in the first spell, found a cause to rouse himself after shattering Dravid’s stumps with a no-ball. His sense of grievance – though he had no one to blame but himself – became the rallying point for Australia’s comeback and they managed to carry the intensity into the following day. It could be argued that India’s lower middle order surrendered their wickets through tentative strokes but the truth was that Australia’s quick men were relentless.VVS Laxman was kept scoreless for 19 balls; Virat Kohli found some release against Nathan Lyon, but was given no space by the fast men; MS Dhoni fell to a familiar trap, driving at a fullish and swinging ball outside off stump. For India, the MCG has become the place for spectacular first-innings collapses, nothing more dramatic and sudden than the meltdown in 2003 when they slumped from 1 for 278 to 366 all out after Virender Sehwag had belted 195 before tea. In 2007, they lost 7 for 76 and the tally read 8 for 68 today.

Though the scorecard didn’t do full justice to Australia’s effort yesterday, each of their quick bowlers stood guilty of bowling at least one poor spell. How well did they make up for it today? Leave aside a poor spell, there was hardly a poor ball all morning

But unlike those two occasions, the bowlers have kept them in the contest in this match. They have learnt from mistakes in the first innings when they bowled a yard shorter, taking leg-before and bowled out of the equation, and while they beat the bat often enough, they quickly absorbed the lesson from Australia that it’s the full length that often finds the edge. The home side’s top order contributed with poor and indecisive strokes, but each of the first three dismissals was brought about by a ball that landed closer to the batsman.And for the first time in many seasons, India forged an attack with no obvious weak links. After Umesh Yadav, who grows more impressive by the innings, and Zaheer Khan had delivered splendid opening spells, Ishant Sharma, unlike many times in the recent past, didn’t serve as the release bowler. And R Ashwin, though not as threatening as the quick men, didn’t serve up singles on demand. Even when Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey were mounting a stand, the ball beat the bat often enough. It is a cliché that a wicket is always a ball away, but all through today, it was always a tangible possibility.Reverse-swing or not, Zaheer has mastered the art of taking wickets with the old ball, and like in the first innings, he delivered two wickets in the last session to keep this fantastic Test in the balance.But expect this match to keep turning. Hussey, who has managed to taste the vagaries of fate over the course of three days – done in by an umpiring error in the first innings, survived an appeal that would gone against him had DRS been used, and benefited from a spilled catch at slip – has kept his own place and his team in contest with a performance that has typified his career.That it was nearly fifty years ago that a 200-plus chase was achieved at the MCG, should point to a position of ascendancy for Australia. India have mounted their best chases in the last four years, and it was only a few Tests ago that South Africa casually chased down 250 after 23 wickets had fallen the previous day Cape Town. If you have the chance, be there at the MCG tomorrow.

As Brett Lee made his way into the Lord’s museum for his press conference, the ball he had used to claim a series-clinching 5 for 49 was already on display behind one of the glass cabinets

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's12-Sep-2009As Brett Lee made his way into the Lord’s museum for his press conference, the ball he had used to claim a series-clinching 5 for 49 was already on display behind one of the glass cabinets. No doubt Lee would trade this five-wicket haul for one two months ago during Australia’s first Test defeat on the ground for 75 years, but he could barely wipe the smile off his face as he contentedly reflected on a point made in no uncertain terms.Lee was still suffering from his side injury when the Lord’s Test came around, but remains adamant that he was ready to play in the final two Ashes matches. The selectors thought differently and Lee was left to stew on the sidelines. Now England’s batsmen are being made to suffer the consequences.”I was disappointed not to play in the Ashes to say the least, but that’s behind me now. I can only perform the best I can when given the opportunity, and that’s this one-day series,” he said. “I don’t think it makes up for what’s happened in the Test series, it’s a completely different series, but it certainly brings a smile to my face, put it that way. To take a five-for at Lord’s is something that is a very, very special part of my cricketing life so far.”He has, in fact, taken one before at Lord’s when he claimed 5 for 41 in the 2005 NatWest Series final and is the first bowler to take two in ODIs at the ground. At that stage, though, he was secure of his place in the team whereas now he is having to prove his worth all over again. After four matches, it seems incredible that worth was ever in doubt.Throughout this series Lee’s pace has been consistently quick, often entire overs have been above the 90mph mark. The yorker to remove Adil Rashid was clocked at 95.8mph, and he hopes this performance will help fight off the talk that age is catching up with him after a year on the sidelines with a series of injuries. He even has designs on pushing past the 100mph-mark, a level he once nudged against New Zealand, as he vies for the tag of fastest bowler in the world along with the likes of Dale Steyn and Shoaib Akhtar.”I know I’m in the team to try and bowl fast, there’s always talk about your age but I’m feeling really fit, probably the fittest I’ve ever felt. I’m only 32 and I want to keep bowling in excess of 90mph for a long time yet, but we’ll wait and see what happens with the body.”We all know from a medical and technical point of view that you don’t reach your best speeds until you’ve played about two months of solid cricket. I want to keep increasing my speed as I have during this series. There’s no reason I can’t go faster, but at the end of the day if you bowl 98mph and spray them everywhere it’s not very effective. There’s a happy medium, but I’d like to see my pace keep increasing and pushing 100mph.”Andrew Strauss, while trying to explain another limp performance from his team, praised the performance of Lee for being too good. “If a guy’s bowling 95mph yorkers, it’s hard work, especially when you’re looking to score in the Powerplays. I think you’ve got to give credit where it’s due. I thought it was a sensational spell of bowling.”After the performances of Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus during the Ashes, along with the presence of Mitchell Johnson, Lee is facing a challenge to resume his Test career but it’s one he relishes. “I’ve left the Ashes behind me now, I have dealt with that and moved on,” he said. “I’m hoping to get the chance to play some Test cricket this Australian summer. The only thing I can try and do is take wickets in one-day matches to prove I can play Test cricket again.”I’ve actually felt good throughout the whole series. I’ve been very lucky the body has been pulling up very well, and you have these days in your life when things just click. Today was one of those days, the yorker was landing where I wanted it to land, I felt pretty strong at the crease and walking away with a five-for is a special feeling.”When it was put to Lee that there may be a chance for him to take a rest now the series is sewn up – with the Champions Trophy to come before a tour of India – he almost had to stop himself laughing. “I’ve had about four months rest…I’m feeling good and ready to go,” he said.Lee, though, still wants his ball back. “I don’t play for that factor of the game but when they asked for it straight away to be put on loan for 12 months, I said ‘well if I can get it back after 12 months definitely’.”

Martin Zubimendi admits Arsenal was always the right project for him after snubbing Real Madrid to join the Gunners this summer.

Zubimendi opted for Arsenal moveRejected Real Madrid for ArtetaReveals reasons for Gunners switchFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Zubimendi officially joined last season's Premier League runners-up this summer in a £60million deal, despite huge interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid. There was initially some doubt that Los Blancos would hijack the deal for the midfielder, but he has now revealed that he always wanted to link up with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT ZUBIMENDI SAID

Speaking at the launch of Arsenal and adidas's new away kit, the Spaniard said: "I always wanted to respect Real Sociedad. But once Arsenal convinced me, I knew it was the right project. Signing for Arsenal is a big change for me. It's the change I wanted.

"And since the first day I've been here I've noticed the greatness of this club and I'm adapting. I don't know what Mikel Arteta saw in me, but what I saw in him is that he's a top coach in Europe. When I wanted to leave Real, I wanted a quality coach, and I think I've found one. I've seen how obsessive and detailed he is with his game, so I think I've found the right one."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Zubimendi forms part of Arsenal's new-look midfield following the departures of Thomas Partey and Jorginho. He will link up with Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and fellow newcomer Christian Norgaard as the Gunners look to finally end their trophy drought next season.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ZUBIMENDI?

Arsenal and Zubimendi have flown out to Singapore to begin their pre-season preparations for the 2025-26 campaign. They will face AC Milan and Newcastle before taking on north London rivals Tottenham at the end of July.

South Africa fall short by seven runs in 221-run chase at the Wanderers

Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2023

Romario Shepherd’s unbeaten 44 off 22 balls, and his ninth-wicket partnership of 59 off 26 balls with Alzarri Joseph, who went on to take his first T20I five-for, secured a series win for West Indies to end an entertaining series.Shepherd and Joseph gave West Indies the third-highest score at the Wanderers and the highest total without an individual fifty since Australia’s 221 for 5 against England in 2007. They were able to defend it in challenging conditions, with plenty of dew greasing up the ball, and against a determined South African line-up.Reeza Hendricks notched up a career-best 83 and put on 80 with Rilee Rossouw for the second wicket but the required run-rate ballooned on South Africa and their batting line-up appeared a little light.The result means West Indies have now won a second successive T20I series win in South Africa, eight years after taking the trophy in 2015. Sheldon Cottrell and Jason Holder are the only members of the current squad who played in that series.Ngidi’s nightmare start After last playing a T20I when South Africa lost to Netherlands at the World Cup in November, Ngidi may have thought things could only get better but they didn’t for him. He bowled a decent delivery first up but then erred down the leg-side to the powerful Brandon King who helped the ball on its way over long leg. Ngidi adjusted to outside off stump with his next ball but King launched it onto the roof over deep mid-wicket and forced Ngidi to think of something else. He tried pace off with this fourth ball but King spotted it and sent it over mid-wicket for four. In frustration, Ngidi overstepped for his next ball and had to bowl it again. His extra delivery was a low full-toss that Kyle Mayers hit over extra cover for four to complete a 22-run over.But the rest of the bowlers do the early work Kagiso Rabada was given the ball immediately after Ngidi and made amends. He bowled Mayers with a full, fast delivery that knocked the West Indian opener off his feet as it found the stumps and then brought the centurion from SuperSport Park, Johnson Charles, down to earth with a first-ball duck. Charles didn’t move his feet to a ball that nipped back into him and inside-edged onto his stumps as South Africa roared back. Anrich Nortje returned in the ninth over and saw Mayers walk across his stumps so pitched it on leg stump and took it out. Aiden Markram joined in the fun when Rovman Powell opened his stance and missed a slog and he became the fourth West Indian to be bowled. West Indies were 108 for 4 at the halfway stage, after which Ngidi redeemed himself when he had Nicholas Pooran caught behind. Shepherding the tailWest Indies needed a strong finish after they lost 3 for 21 between the 13th and 16th over with not much batting to come. Shepherd and Joseph put on the highest ninth-wicket partnership at the Wanderers, and took 52 runs off the last three overs to ensure West Indies topped 200. Shepherd survived two chances in that time – he edged Wayne Parnell but Quinton de Kock could not hold on and then he skied a chance off Rabada but Heinrich Klaasen lost it in the lights at fine leg. Shepherd finished the innings with a massive six over long on, a pull through mid-wicket for four and an aerial drive over Rabada’s head in an over that cost 26 runs. Shepherd finished unbeaten on 44 off 22 balls. All square in the Powerplay South Africa started in fairly circumspect style, with only seven runs off the first two overs of their reply, before Quinton de Kock picked up the pace. He steered Cottrell past third man to open his boundary count and then took three fours off Roston Chase’s second over to signal South Africa’s intent. De Kock was profiting off the slower bowling but misread when Joseph put the brakes on and cut to Chase at third. As he left the field, de Kock told Rossouw the ball was sticking in the pitch a bit but that seemed to mean nothing to the No.3. He hit the first ball he faced over extra cover for four, and then sent Joseph over point for six and through the covers for another four. Rossouw scored 19 runs off the first six balls he faced and South Africa finished the Powerplay on exactly the same score as West Indies: 61, but had lost one fewer wicket.Six of the best Unlike de Kock or Rossouw, Hendricks finds his runs with finesse over fury, and he has found a lot of them that way. He brought up his sixth T20I half century in his last eight innings with a six. Hendricks pulled a Shepherd slower ball over deep mid-wicket, showing off his strong use of the wrists and the power he finds through placement, and then decided it was time to show off his big-hitting. He threw his bat at the next ball and sent it swirling to deep extra cover, where it slipped through Brandon King’s hands. South Africa needed 92 off 46 balls at that stage. Hendricks’ lifeline emboldened him and he went aerial in the next over too, but the ball fell short of mid-wicket and Hendricks survived again. He went on to a career best 83 and was at the crease until the penultimate over. South Africa needed 35 runs off 12 balls and Hendricks tried to muscle them there by going over long-on but hit Joseph to Powell on the fence.Joseph gets another five-forHe removed de Kock in his first over, and Miller in his third but Joseph’s biggest task came in his final six balls, with South Africa’s big-hitters at the ready to get big runs. Hendricks was out off his first ball and then Klaasen walked across his stumps and hit him for six. Joseph could have been overawed but he wasn’t. He pulled back the pace and presented Klaasen with a full slower ball that he sliced skyward. Cottrell took a good running catch to send South Africa’s last recognised batter back. Then Joseph got the gas back and sent a full, fast ball to Wayne Parnell, who swung and missed, to record his first T20I five-for.

عقد محمود الخطيب، رئيس مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي والمشرف العام على قطاع كرة القدم، اجتماعًا ظهر اليوم مع الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول، وذلك في حضور لجنة التخطيط برئاسة مختار مختار وعضوية زكريا ناصف، إلى جانب المدير الرياضي محمد يوسف.

وجاء الاجتماع في إطار التحضير للمرحلة المقبلة، حيث ناقش الحضور آليات العمل داخل الفريق، وتم الاتفاق على ضرورة تعزيز التعاون بين جميع عناصر الجهاز الفني والإداري، بما يضمن توفير بيئة عمل مستقرة تدعم طموحات الفريق وتخدم أهداف النادي.

طالع.. شرط جزائي صعب.. “بطولات” يكشف موقف لوتيسكو من تدريب الأهلي

ويأتي هذا الاجتماع عقب الإعلان عن التشكيل الجديد للجهاز الفني، والذي يضم وليد صلاح الدين مديرًا للكرة، وعماد النحاس مديرًا فنيًّا، عادل مصطفى مدربًا عامًا، محمد نجيب مدربًا مساعدًا، إلى جانب أمير عبد الحميد مدربًا لحراس المرمى.

ويواصل مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، برئاسة محمود الخطيب، البحث في السير الذاتية لعدد من المدربين الأجانب في الوقت الحالي، لاختيار المدرب الجديد.

ومن المقرر أن يعود الأهلي لمنافسات بطولة الدوري المصري بمواجهة إنبي، بعد انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي الحالي، وذلك يوم 14 سبتمبر الجاري.

Australia allrounder has been approached by the PCB to fill the vacant men’s national coaching role

Danyal Rasool09-Mar-2024

The PCB has sounded out former Australian allrounder Shane Watson as one of its prime contenders for the head coaching role of the men’s national side.The side currently does not have a head coach and wishes to find a candidate for the top job before New Zealand visits Pakistan for a white-ball series in April. It is understood the PCB is eager to find someone to fill the role on a permanent rather than temporary basis, as was the case when Mohammad Hafeez was appointed for tours of Australia and New Zealand in December and January.Watson is currently in Pakistan and was appointed coach of the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL this year. He has overseen a turnaround for the franchise, who are set to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in five years.Related

Mohsin Naqvi elected PCB chairman for three years

Shane Watson to take over as Quetta Gladiators head coach

While Watson is not the only one the PCB are looking at – former West Indies captain Daren Sammy is another desired candidate – ESPNcricinfo understands Watson has been approached. However, it is not yet guaranteed he will accept the job should an offer come his way.He lives in Sydney with his young family and already has a busy schedule throughout the year. He serves as coach of the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket and has commentary commitments with Star Sports in ICC events as well as the Indian Premier League. He has previously worked for two seasons under Ricky Ponting as an assistant for Delhi Capitals in the IPL.Daren Sammy is also understood to be in the running•Getty Images

The PCB are understood to have been impressed by what he has brought to the Gladiators as well as the interpersonal relationships he has been able to strike. But the likelihood of the two parties reaching a deal will depend upon how much time the PCB requires the head coach to spend in Pakistan. When Mickey Arthur was pursued by the board last year, he was offered a flexible role that allowed him to juggle a coaching role with Derbyshire in the English county season alongside his position of Director of Cricket with Pakistan, with Grant Bradburn appointed the full-time head coach.Earlier this week, newly appointed PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said the board was in contact with “a few different options”, promising that no expense would be spared in procuring the best coaches for Pakistan.To that end, Sammy is also believed to be in the reckoning, with his long-standing relationship with Pakistan cricket counting in his favour. Sammy is West Indies’ current limited-overs coach but is hugely popular within Pakistan since his days as captain of Peshawar Zalmi, most notably deciding to tour the country for the 2017 PSL final, with all overseas players from his side following him to the country when Quetta Gladiators’ overseas players opted to stay away. He is currently head coach of Peshawar Zalmi, who have also qualified for the playoffs this season.Pakistan’s appointment of coaches has been complicated by the instability of the administrative side of the PCB. Former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf decided to remove Arthur and Bradburn after an indifferent World Cup, sending Hafeez to lead the tours to Australia and New Zealand instead despite having no coaching experience. Arthur and Bradburn were in turn only appointed during Ashraf’s predecessor Najam Sethi’s brief stint at the helm.

Dominated with the bat and destroyed with the ball by the third morning, England didn’t make it past lunch as India, led by Deepti Sharma – again – and Pooja Vastrakar, completed a record 347-run victory at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.While Deepti’s remarkable 5 for 7 had sent England into a tailspin on the second day, it was Vastrakar who sparked their downfall on Saturday after India declared overnight on 186 for 6. Deepti finished them off, taking nine wickets in all to add to her first-innings half-century for Player-of-the-Match honours.Related

• How Vastrakar killed the game on a turning track

• Finger fracture puts Shubha Satheesh out of action

• Muzumdar: Deepti is the 'Ben Stokes of the team'

Given that the highest successful fourth-innings run chase in women’s Tests is Australia’s 198 for 3 to beat England in Sydney in 2011, to call it a 479-run “target” seemed trite and Vastrakar’s early inroads ensured that.It was India Women’s first Test win at home against England in six attempts, the margin of victory the largest by runs in women’s Tests, and was all wrapped up in an extended morning session on the third day.After Renuka Thakur plucked out Tammy Beaumont with a ball that held its line to beat the outside edge and peg back off stump with just 27 runs on the board, Vastrakar had an out-of-sorts Sophia Dunkley slicing straight to gully and easily taken by substitute fielder Harleen Deol, on for Shubha Satheesh, who scored 69 on international debut in India’s first innings but didn’t bat in the second because of a broken finger.That put England in familiar territory in this match (they were 28 for 2 when bowled out for 136 in their first innings to concede a lead of 292) at 37 for 2. And, on the very next ball, Vastrakar removed Nat Sciver-Brunt – the only England batter to offer any resistance in the first innings – with a beauty that nipped back in from a perfect length outside off, went through the gate and crashed into the stumps.It was the Deepti Sharma show all the way•BCCI

When Vastrakar got one to hold its line from outside off and draw an outside edge from Heather Knight, England slumped to 68 for 4.Deepti then orchestrated the procession, flummoxing Danni Wyatt with a fantastic offbreak taken at slip and removing Amy Jones via a loose pull to midwicket to get at the England tail. She removed Kate Cross with one that turned ferociously from outside off to peg back leg stump and lured Lauren Filer down the pitch with the flight on one that kept low after turning in and pinged middle stump.In between whiles, Rajeshwari Gayakwad bowled Sophie Ecclestone, then had Lauren Bell caught simply by Jemimah Rodrigues at silly point, the last wicket to fall. The latter sparked wild celebrations for the home side, who will be looking to bottle this feeling – and form – for use in their next Test, starting against Australia at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.